Crystal identification light microscopy at Buffalo Hospital
303 Catlin St, Buffalo, MN · Allinahealth · · NPI 1538123567
$85.01
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.
?
What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.
$151.80
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.
?
The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.
$6.82 with allina aetna medicare (b) vs $169.16 with blue cross blue shield — 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 →
?
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) | $6.82 | ↓ -92% |
| medicare | medicare (b) | $7.18 | ↓ -92% |
| medicare other | all other medicare (b) | $7.18 | ↓ -92% |
| medicaid | medicaid ma (b) | $7.32 | ↓ -91% |
| all other medicaid | all other medicaid (b) | $7.32 | ↓ -91% |
| medica | medica medicare (b) | $7.47 | ↓ -91% |
| bcbs | bc medicare (b) | $7.54 | ↓ -91% |
| south country health alliance | scha pmap (b) | $7.54 | ↓ -91% |
| ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) | ucare pmap (abdmnorsuv) | $30.54 | ↓ -64% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc pmap (b d o s v) | $43.91 | ↓ -48% |
| health partners | hpi cigna (mu) | $56.14 | ↓ -34% |
| aetna | aetna elevate (bdosv) | $67.44 | ↓ -21% |
| aetna | aetna performance (bdosv) | $71.24 | ↓ -16% |
| medica health system | medica dual solutions (b d v o s) | $77.42 | ↓ -9% |
| aetna direct/indirect regional network | aetna direct/indirect regional (bdosv) | $89.99 | ↑ +6% |
| healthpartners | hpi (bdov) | $102.76 | ↑ +21% |
| united healthcare (bdohsv) | united healthcare (bdosv) | $104.59 | ↑ +23% |
| medica health system | medica elect (b d o s v) | $111.24 | ↑ +31% |
| health partners | hpi cigna (bdov) | $112.01 | ↑ +32% |
| blue cross | allina health blueprint (bdoshv) | $112.52 | ↑ +32% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc state health plan (b d o s v) | $114.27 | ↑ +34% |
| medica | medica essentials (b d o s v) | $116.14 | ↑ +37% |
| medica mhps | medica mhps (bdosv) | $116.14 | ↑ +37% |
| americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) | americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) | $117.10 | ↑ +38% |
| medica health system | medica choice (b d o s v) | $122.23 | ↑ +44% |
| blue cross blue shield of minnesota | bc premier (b d o s v) | $127.26 | ↑ +50% |
| first health (a c e g h u b d n o r s) | first health (abdmnosurv) | $127.51 | ↑ +50% |
| americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s) | americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s v) | $127.51 | ↑ +50% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc aehp (b d o s v) | $149.71 | ↑ +76% |
| 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) | $151.80 | ↑ +79% |
| blue cross blue shield of minnesota | bc high value/performance network (bdosv) | $160.70 | ↑ +89% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc aware/blue plus (b d o s v) | $169.16 | ↑ +99% |
Visitor-reported prices
Comments
Crystal identification light microscopy at other Minnesota hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford Canby Medical Center | Canby | $45.60 | $13.80 – $51.30 |
| Sanford Westbrook Hospital | Westbrook | $84.00 | $25.42 – $94.50 |
| Sanford Wheaton | Wheaton | $50.40 | $15.25 – $56.70 |
| Sanford Luverne Medical Center | Luverne | $43.20 | $13.07 – $48.60 |
| Sanford Tracy Hospital | Tracy | $84.00 | $25.42 – $94.50 |
| Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center | Thief River Falls | $56.80 | $24.39 – $63.90 |
| Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls | Thief River Falls | $56.80 | $24.39 – $63.90 |
| United Hospital | MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings | $93.02 | $6.82 – $101.00 |