Version cephalic external 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

$2,271.20

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.

Full explanation →

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

$2,839.00

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.

Full explanation →

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

$1,293.73 with Sanford Health Plan vs $11,053.31 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
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $1,293.73 ↓ -43%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $1,475.14 ↓ -35%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $1,521.99 ↓ -33%
Security Health Plan Commercial $1,561.45 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial $1,735.48 ↓ -24%
Health Partners Commercial $1,987.30 ↓ -13%
Ucare Commercial $1,995.53 ↓ -12%
United Healthcare CSP Top 20 $2,160.48 ↓ -5%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $2,255.47 ↓ -1%
Aetna Commercial $2,327.98 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial $2,370.57 ↑ +4%
Medica Choice $2,384.76 ↑ +5%
Medica Elect $2,552.26 ↑ +12%
Multiplan Commercial $2,555.10 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $2,555.10 ↑ +13%
Cigna Commercial $2,555.10 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $2,555.10 ↑ +13%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $2,964.37 ↑ +31%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $3,182.80 ↑ +40%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $3,214.00 ↑ +42%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $3,214.00 ↑ +42%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $3,214.00 ↑ +42%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $3,214.00 ↑ +42%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $3,214.00 ↑ +42%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $3,276.41 ↑ +44%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care $3,338.51 ↑ +47%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $3,497.48 ↑ +54%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $11,053.31 ↑ +387%

Visitor-reported prices

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Version cephalic external at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Worthington Medical Center Worthington $1,390.40 $673.82 – $3,276.41
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $2,428.00 $1,042.52 – $2,731.50
Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls Thief River Falls $2,428.00 $1,042.52 – $2,731.50
United Hospital MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings $2,254.03 $33.48 – $3,855.24
Owatonna Hospital Owatonna $963.76 $41.31 – $3,462.76
Abbott Northwestern Hospital MN 55407 $2,254.03 $33.48 – $7,960.13
Allina Health Faribault Medical Center Faribualt $963.76 $41.31 – $3,644.41
New Ulm Medical Center MN 56073 $815.75 $53.83 – $3,336.13

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →