Compatibility test each unit electronic 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

$9.86

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.

$17.60

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.

$3.54 with ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) vs $429.01 with health partners — 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
ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) ucare pmap (abdmnorsuv) $3.54 ↓ -64%
aetna aetna elevate (bdosv) $7.82 ↓ -21%
aetna aetna performance (bdosv) $8.26 ↓ -16%
medica health system medica dual solutions (b d v o s) $8.98 ↓ -9%
aetna direct/indirect regional network aetna direct/indirect regional (bdosv) $10.43 ↑ +6%
healthpartners hpi (bdov) $11.91 ↑ +21%
united healthcare (bdohsv) united healthcare (bdosv) $12.13 ↑ +23%
medica health system medica elect (b d o s v) $12.90 ↑ +31%
health partners hpi cigna (bdov) $12.99 ↑ +32%
medica medica essentials (b d o s v) $13.47 ↑ +37%
medica mhps medica mhps (bdosv) $13.47 ↑ +37%
americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) $13.58 ↑ +38%
medica health system medica choice (b d o s v) $14.17 ↑ +44%
first health (a c e g h u b d n o r s) first health (abdmnosurv) $14.78 ↑ +50%
americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s) americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s v) $14.78 ↑ +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) $17.60 ↑ +78%
blue cross blue shield bc pmap (b d o s v) $61.45 ↑ +523%
blue cross allina health blueprint (bdoshv) $157.48 ↑ +1497%
blue cross blue shield bc state health plan (b d o s v) $159.93 ↑ +1522%
allina aetna medicare (b) allina aetna medicare (b) $166.81 ↑ +1592%
medicare medicare (b) $175.59 ↑ +1681%
medicare other all other medicare (b) $175.59 ↑ +1681%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc premier (b d o s v) $178.11 ↑ +1706%
medica medica medicare (b) $182.61 ↑ +1752%
bcbs bc medicare (b) $184.37 ↑ +1770%
blue cross blue shield bc aehp (b d o s v) $209.52 ↑ +2025%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc high value/performance network (bdosv) $224.92 ↑ +2181%
blue cross blue shield bc aware/blue plus (b d o s v) $236.76 ↑ +2301%
health partners hpi cigna (mu) $429.01 ↑ +4251%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Compatibility test each unit electronic at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $51.20 $15.49 – $57.60
United Hospital MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings $10.80 $49.79 – $184.37
Owatonna Hospital Owatonna $9.86 $11.91 – $182.25
Abbott Northwestern Hospital MN 55407 $10.80 $49.79 – $429.01
Allina Health Faribault Medical Center Faribualt $9.86 $11.91 – $191.80
New Ulm Medical Center MN 56073 $11.87 $9.28 – $274.09
Mercy Hospital MN 55443 | 550 Osborne Road NE. Fridley $10.80 $49.79 – $196.28
Cambridge Medical Center Cambridge $9.86 $11.91 – $191.80

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →