Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center

1300 Anne Street NW, Bemidji, MN · Sanford Health · · NPI 1801870191

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 4, 2026 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$1,336.00

Cash price

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Discounted cash price

What a hospital charges a self-pay patient who pays directly, without going through insurance — usually well below the gross charge.

Example: A CT scan has a $3,200 gross charge but an $850 discounted cash price. Ask for it by name when scheduling — hospitals don't always advertise it up front.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$1,670.00

Gross charge

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Gross charge (chargemaster price)

The hospital's full, undiscounted list price — pulled from its internal "chargemaster" price list. Almost no one actually pays this.

Example: A chest X-ray has a gross charge of $1,450. The same hospital's discounted cash price for the same X-ray is $180 — the gross charge mostly anchors negotiations, not what patients pay.

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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$620.35 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $3,040.16 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
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Negotiated rate

The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.

Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.

Full explanation →

Payer
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Payer

The insurance company footing the bill — Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare, and so on.

Example: "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is the payer. Its negotiated rate for an MRI might be $904, while a different payer's negotiated rate for the same scan is $1,509.

Full explanation →
Plan
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Plan

The specific product an insurer sells — e.g. "Blue Cross PPO 500" — which sets your deductible, coinsurance and negotiated rates.

Example: Two people both insured by Aetna can owe very different amounts for the same MRI: $50 with an HMO plan's flat copay, or the full $1,200 toward a high-deductible PPO plan's unmet deductible.

Full explanation →
Negotiated rate vs. cash
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $620.35 ↓ -54%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $761.02 ↓ -43%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $761.62 ↓ -43%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $817.74 ↓ -39%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $825.76 ↓ -38%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $825.76 ↓ -38%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $825.76 ↓ -38%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $825.76 ↓ -38%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $825.76 ↓ -38%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $841.79 ↓ -37%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $867.73 ↓ -35%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $895.29 ↓ -33%
Security Health Plan Commercial $918.50 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial $1,020.87 ↓ -24%
Health Partners Commercial $1,169.00 ↓ -13%
Ucare Commercial $1,173.84 ↓ -12%
United Healthcare CSP Top 20 $1,270.87 ↓ -5%
Aetna Commercial $1,369.40 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial $1,394.45 ↑ +4%
Medica Choice $1,402.80 ↑ +5%
Medica Elect $1,501.33 ↑ +12%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $1,503.00 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $1,503.00 ↑ +13%
Cigna Commercial $1,503.00 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $1,503.00 ↑ +13%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $3,040.16 ↑ +128%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital —
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $80.80 $24.45 – $90.90
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $143.20 $43.34 – $161.10
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $138.40 $41.88 – $155.70
Sanford Worthington Medical Center Worthington $1,336.00 $633.76 – $1,503.00
Sanford Tracy Hospital Tracy $143.20 $43.34 – $161.10
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $91.20 $39.16 – $102.60
Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls Thief River Falls $91.20 $39.16 – $102.60
United Hospital MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings $38.21 $31.35 – $871.84

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →