Chromogenic substrate assay 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

$150.98

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.

Full explanation →

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

$269.60

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.

Full explanation →

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

$11.07 with allina aetna medicare (b) vs $269.60 with all other contracted care (a b c d e g h n o r s u) — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
allina aetna medicare (b) allina aetna medicare (b) $11.07 ↓ -93%
blue cross blue shield bc pmap (b d o s v) $11.16 ↓ -93%
medicare medicare (b) $11.65 ↓ -92%
medicare other all other medicare (b) $11.65 ↓ -92%
all other medicaid all other medicaid (b) $11.88 ↓ -92%
medicaid medicaid ma (b) $11.88 ↓ -92%
medica medica medicare (b) $12.12 ↓ -92%
bcbs bc medicare (b) $12.23 ↓ -92%
south country health alliance scha pmap (b) $12.24 ↓ -92%
blue cross allina health blueprint (bdoshv) $22.91 ↓ -85%
blue cross blue shield bc state health plan (b d o s v) $23.26 ↓ -85%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc premier (b d o s v) $25.90 ↓ -83%
blue cross blue shield bc aehp (b d o s v) $30.47 ↓ -80%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc high value/performance network (bdosv) $32.71 ↓ -78%
blue cross blue shield bc aware/blue plus (b d o s v) $34.43 ↓ -77%
health partners hpi cigna (mu) $39.62 ↓ -74%
ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) ucare pmap (abdmnorsuv) $54.24 ↓ -64%
aetna aetna elevate (bdosv) $119.78 ↓ -21%
aetna aetna performance (bdosv) $126.52 ↓ -16%
medica health system medica dual solutions (b d v o s) $137.50 ↓ -9%
aetna direct/indirect regional network aetna direct/indirect regional (bdosv) $159.82 ↑ +6%
healthpartners hpi (bdov) $182.51 ↑ +21%
united healthcare (bdohsv) united healthcare (bdosv) $185.75 ↑ +23%
medica health system medica elect (b d o s v) $197.56 ↑ +31%
health partners hpi cigna (bdov) $198.94 ↑ +32%
medica medica essentials (b d o s v) $206.27 ↑ +37%
medica mhps medica mhps (bdosv) $206.27 ↑ +37%
americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) $207.97 ↑ +38%
medica health system medica choice (b d o s v) $217.08 ↑ +44%
first health (a c e g h u b d n o r s) first health (abdmnosurv) $226.46 ↑ +50%
americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s) americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s v) $226.46 ↑ +50%
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) $269.60 ↑ +79%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Chromogenic substrate assay at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $289.60 $124.35 – $325.80
Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls Thief River Falls $289.60 $124.35 – $325.80
United Hospital MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings $165.26 $7.77 – $21.22
Owatonna Hospital Owatonna $150.98 $11.07 – $198.94
Abbott Northwestern Hospital MN 55407 $165.26 $7.77 – $39.62
Allina Health Faribault Medical Center Faribualt $150.98 $11.07 – $198.94
New Ulm Medical Center MN 56073 $180.54 $11.07 – $263.66
Mercy Hospital MN 55443 | 550 Osborne Road NE. Fridley $165.26 $7.77 – $21.22

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →