Cholesterol (Lipid) Test at Buffalo Hospital
303 Catlin St, Buffalo, MN · Allinahealth · · NPI 1538123567
$30.91
Cash price 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.
$55.20
Gross charge 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.
$5.53 with ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) vs $62.26 with blue cross blue shield — 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 →
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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 ?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 ?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) | $5.53 | ↓ -82% |
| aetna | aetna elevate (bdosv) | $12.22 | ↓ -60% |
| allina aetna medicare (b) | allina aetna medicare (b) | $12.46 | ↓ -60% |
| aetna | aetna performance (bdosv) | $12.91 | ↓ -58% |
| medicare | medicare (b) | $13.12 | ↓ -58% |
| medicare other | all other medicare (b) | $13.12 | ↓ -58% |
| all other medicaid | all other medicaid (b) | $13.38 | ↓ -57% |
| medicaid | medicaid ma (b) | $13.38 | ↓ -57% |
| medica | medica medicare (b) | $13.64 | ↓ -56% |
| south country health alliance | scha pmap (b) | $13.78 | ↓ -55% |
| bcbs | bc medicare (b) | $13.78 | ↓ -55% |
| medica health system | medica dual solutions (b d v o s) | $14.03 | ↓ -55% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc pmap (b d o s v) | $16.16 | ↓ -48% |
| aetna direct/indirect regional network | aetna direct/indirect regional (bdosv) | $16.30 | ↓ -47% |
| healthpartners | hpi (bdov) | $18.62 | ↓ -40% |
| united healthcare (bdohsv) | united healthcare (bdosv) | $18.95 | ↓ -39% |
| medica health system | medica elect (b d o s v) | $20.15 | ↓ -35% |
| health partners | hpi cigna (bdov) | $20.29 | ↓ -34% |
| medica mhps | medica mhps (bdosv) | $21.04 | ↓ -32% |
| medica | medica essentials (b d o s v) | $21.04 | ↓ -32% |
| americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) | americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) | $21.21 | ↓ -31% |
| medica health system | medica choice (b d o s v) | $22.14 | ↓ -28% |
| first health (a c e g h u b d n o r s) | first health (abdmnosurv) | $23.10 | ↓ -25% |
| americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s) | americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s v) | $23.10 | ↓ -25% |
| 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) | $27.50 | ↓ -11% |
| health partners | hpi cigna (mu) | $30.51 | ↓ -1% |
| blue cross | allina health blueprint (bdoshv) | $41.40 | ↑ +34% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc state health plan (b d o s v) | $42.05 | ↑ +36% |
| blue cross blue shield of minnesota | bc premier (b d o s v) | $46.84 | ↑ +52% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc aehp (b d o s v) | $55.09 | ↑ +78% |
| blue cross blue shield of minnesota | bc high value/performance network (bdosv) | $59.15 | ↑ +91% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc aware/blue plus (b d o s v) | $62.26 | ↑ +101% |
Visitor-reported prices
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Cholesterol (Lipid) Test at other Minnesota hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford Canby Medical Center | Canby | $100.00 | $46.75 – $112.50 |
| Sanford Westbrook Hospital | Westbrook | $145.60 | $46.75 – $163.80 |
| Sanford Wheaton | Wheaton | $102.40 | $46.75 – $115.20 |
| Sanford Luverne Medical Center | Luverne | $77.60 | $34.14 – $87.30 |
| Sanford Tracy Hospital | Tracy | $145.60 | $46.75 – $163.80 |
| Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center | Thief River Falls | $124.00 | $46.75 – $139.50 |
| Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls | Thief River Falls | $124.00 | $46.75 – $139.50 |
| United Hospital | MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings | $25.73 | $12.46 – $37.17 |