Electron microscopy diagnostic at Buffalo Hospital
303 Catlin St, Buffalo, MN · Allinahealth · · NPI 1538123567
$833.00
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.
$1,487.50
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.
$63.66 with blue cross blue shield vs $2,045.11 with health partners — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| blue cross blue shield | bc pmap (b d o s v) | $63.66 | ↓ -92% |
| blue cross | allina health blueprint (bdoshv) | $163.16 | ↓ -80% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc state health plan (b d o s v) | $165.69 | ↓ -80% |
| blue cross blue shield of minnesota | bc premier (b d o s v) | $184.53 | ↓ -78% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc aehp (b d o s v) | $217.08 | ↓ -74% |
| blue cross blue shield of minnesota | bc high value/performance network (bdosv) | $233.02 | ↓ -72% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc aware/blue plus (b d o s v) | $245.29 | ↓ -71% |
| ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) | ucare pmap (abdmnorsuv) | $261.12 | ↓ -69% |
| medicaid | medicaid ma (b) | $415.36 | ↓ -50% |
| all other medicaid | all other medicaid (b) | $415.36 | ↓ -50% |
| south country health alliance | scha pmap (b) | $427.82 | ↓ -49% |
| aetna | aetna elevate (bdosv) | $576.61 | ↓ -31% |
| aetna | aetna performance (bdosv) | $609.06 | ↓ -27% |
| medica health system | medica dual solutions (b d v o s) | $661.88 | ↓ -21% |
| aetna direct/indirect regional network | aetna direct/indirect regional (bdosv) | $769.34 | ↓ -8% |
| allina aetna medicare (b) | allina aetna medicare (b) | $788.80 | ↓ -5% |
| medicare | medicare (b) | $830.32 | ↓ -0% |
| medicare other | all other medicare (b) | $830.32 | ↓ -0% |
| medica | medica medicare (b) | $863.53 | ↑ +4% |
| bcbs | bc medicare (b) | $871.84 | ↑ +5% |
| healthpartners | hpi (bdov) | $878.57 | ↑ +5% |
| united healthcare (bdohsv) | united healthcare (bdosv) | $894.18 | ↑ +7% |
| medica health system | medica elect (b d o s v) | $951.03 | ↑ +14% |
| health partners | hpi cigna (bdov) | $957.64 | ↑ +15% |
| medica | medica essentials (b d o s v) | $992.95 | ↑ +19% |
| medica mhps | medica mhps (bdosv) | $992.95 | ↑ +19% |
| americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) | americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) | $1,001.12 | ↑ +20% |
| medica ub health (b) | medica ub health (b) | $1,035.64 | ↑ +24% |
| medica health system | medica choice (b d o s v) | $1,044.99 | ↑ +25% |
| first health (a c e g h u b d n o r s) | first health (abdmnosurv) | $1,090.15 | ↑ +31% |
| americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s) | americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s v) | $1,090.15 | ↑ +31% |
| 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) | $1,297.80 | ↑ +56% |
| health partners | hpi cigna (mu) | $2,045.11 | ↑ +146% |
Visitor-reported prices
Comments
Electron microscopy diagnostic at other Minnesota hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center | Thief River Falls | $1,024.80 | $440.02 – $1,152.90 |
| Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls | Thief River Falls | $1,024.80 | $440.02 – $1,152.90 |
| United Hospital | MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings | $889.87 | $51.59 – $871.84 |
| Owatonna Hospital | Owatonna | $833.00 | $63.66 – $957.64 |
| Abbott Northwestern Hospital | MN 55407 | $889.87 | $51.59 – $2,045.11 |
| Allina Health Faribault Medical Center | Faribualt | $833.00 | $63.66 – $957.64 |
| New Ulm Medical Center | MN 56073 | $1,047.20 | $82.94 – $1,427.37 |
| Mercy Hospital | MN 55443 | 550 Osborne Road NE. Fridley | $889.87 | $51.59 – $863.53 |