Contrast x-ray of elbow at Buffalo Hospital
303 Catlin St, Buffalo, MN · Allinahealth · · NPI 1538123567
$295.96
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.
$528.50
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.
$106.33 with ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) vs $1,175.55 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) | $106.33 | ↓ -64% |
| medica health system | medica dual solutions (b d v o s) | $164.00 | ↓ -45% |
| aetna | aetna elevate (bdosv) | $234.81 | ↓ -21% |
| aetna | aetna performance (bdosv) | $248.03 | ↓ -16% |
| medica health system | medica elect (b d o s v) | $283.92 | ↓ -4% |
| medica | medica essentials (b d o s v) | $296.43 | ↑ +0% |
| medica mhps | medica mhps (bdosv) | $296.43 | ↑ +0% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc pmap (b d o s v) | $305.08 | ↑ +3% |
| medica health system | medica choice (b d o s v) | $312.00 | ↑ +5% |
| aetna direct/indirect regional network | aetna direct/indirect regional (bdosv) | $313.29 | ↑ +6% |
| medicaid | medicaid ma (b) | $332.39 | ↑ +12% |
| all other medicaid | all other medicaid (b) | $332.39 | ↑ +12% |
| united healthcare (bdohsv) | united healthcare (bdosv) | $336.00 | ↑ +14% |
| allina aetna medicare (b) | allina aetna medicare (b) | $341.56 | ↑ +15% |
| south country health alliance | scha pmap (b) | $342.36 | ↑ +16% |
| healthpartners | hpi (bdov) | $357.78 | ↑ +21% |
| medicare other | all other medicare (b) | $359.54 | ↑ +21% |
| medicare | medicare (b) | $359.54 | ↑ +21% |
| medica | medica medicare (b) | $373.92 | ↑ +26% |
| bcbs | bc medicare (b) | $377.52 | ↑ +28% |
| health partners | hpi cigna (bdov) | $389.98 | ↑ +32% |
| americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) | americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) | $407.68 | ↑ +38% |
| medica ub health (b) | medica ub health (b) | $421.74 | ↑ +42% |
| first health (a c e g h u b d n o r s) | first health (abdmnosurv) | $443.94 | ↑ +50% |
| americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s) | americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s v) | $443.94 | ↑ +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) | $528.50 | ↑ +79% |
| blue cross | allina health blueprint (bdoshv) | $781.96 | ↑ +164% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc state health plan (b d o s v) | $794.09 | ↑ +168% |
| blue cross blue shield of minnesota | bc premier (b d o s v) | $884.37 | ↑ +199% |
| health partners | hpi cigna (mu) | $894.08 | ↑ +202% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc aehp (b d o s v) | $1,040.36 | ↑ +252% |
| blue cross blue shield of minnesota | bc high value/performance network (bdosv) | $1,116.77 | ↑ +277% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc aware/blue plus (b d o s v) | $1,175.55 | ↑ +297% |
Visitor-reported prices
Comments
Contrast x-ray of elbow at other Minnesota hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center | Thief River Falls | $936.80 | $374.99 – $1,053.90 |
| Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls | Thief River Falls | $936.80 | $374.99 – $1,053.90 |
| United Hospital | MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings | $298.22 | $180.00 – $701.88 |
| Owatonna Hospital | Owatonna | $295.96 | $164.00 – $884.37 |
| Abbott Northwestern Hospital | MN 55407 | $298.22 | $180.00 – $894.08 |
| Allina Health Faribault Medical Center | Faribualt | $295.96 | $164.00 – $884.37 |
| New Ulm Medical Center | MN 56073 | $811.38 | $341.56 – $1,360.90 |
| Mercy Hospital | MN 55443 | 550 Osborne Road NE. Fridley | $298.22 | $180.00 – $415.49 |