Breast punct aspir cyst, bil at Buffalo Hospital

303 Catlin St, Buffalo, MN · Allinahealth · · NPI 1538123567

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Jun 16, 2026 · Ingested Sep 17, 2026

$174.33

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.

$311.30

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.

$48.57 with ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) vs $1,761.42 with health partners — 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
ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) ucare pmap (abdmnorsuv) $48.57 ↓ -72%
aetna aetna elevate (bdosv) $107.25 ↓ -38%
aetna aetna performance (bdosv) $113.29 ↓ -35%
medica health system medica dual solutions (b d v o s) $123.11 ↓ -29%
aetna direct/indirect regional network aetna direct/indirect regional (bdosv) $143.10 ↓ -18%
healthpartners hpi (bdov) $163.42 ↓ -6%
medica health system medica elect (b d o s v) $176.90 ↑ +1%
health partners hpi cigna (bdov) $178.13 ↑ +2%
medica mhps medica mhps (bdosv) $184.70 ↑ +6%
medica medica essentials (b d o s v) $184.70 ↑ +6%
americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) $186.22 ↑ +7%
blue cross blue shield bc pmap (b d o s v) $190.47 ↑ +9%
medica ub health (b) medica ub health (b) $192.64 ↑ +11%
medica health system medica choice (b d o s v) $194.38 ↑ +12%
united healthcare (bdohsv) united healthcare (bdosv) $199.00 ↑ +14%
first health (a c e g h u b d n o r s) first health (abdmnosurv) $202.78 ↑ +16%
americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s) americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s v) $202.78 ↑ +16%
all other contracted care (a b c d e g h n o r s u) all other contracted care (a b c d m h n o r s u v) $241.40 ↑ +38%
blue cross allina health blueprint (bdoshv) $391.00 ↑ +124%
blue cross blue shield bc state health plan (b d o s v) $397.04 ↑ +128%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc premier (b d o s v) $442.13 ↑ +154%
blue cross blue shield bc aehp (b d o s v) $520.14 ↑ +198%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc high value/performance network (bdosv) $558.32 ↑ +220%
blue cross blue shield bc aware/blue plus (b d o s v) $587.72 ↑ +237%
all other medicaid all other medicaid (b) $674.68 ↑ +287%
medicaid medicaid ma (b) $674.68 ↑ +287%
allina aetna medicare (b) allina aetna medicare (b) $693.30 ↑ +298%
south country health alliance scha pmap (b) $694.92 ↑ +299%
medicare medicare (b) $729.79 ↑ +319%
medicare other all other medicare (b) $729.79 ↑ +319%
medica medica medicare (b) $758.98 ↑ +335%
bcbs bc medicare (b) $766.28 ↑ +340%
health partners hpi cigna (mu) $1,761.42 ↑ +910%

Visitor-reported prices

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Breast punct aspir cyst, bil at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $1,190.40 $507.57 – $1,339.20
Sanford Worthington Medical Center Worthington $710.40 $344.28 – $799.20
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $1,294.40 $555.78 – $1,456.20
Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls Thief River Falls $1,294.40 $555.78 – $1,456.20
United Hospital MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings $150.91 $132.61 – $3,243.00
Owatonna Hospital Owatonna $174.33 $163.42 – $3,572.45
Abbott Northwestern Hospital MN 55407 $150.91 $132.61 – $3,243.00
Allina Health Faribault Medical Center Faribualt $174.33 $163.42 – $3,572.45

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →