Infectious agent nucleic acid respiratory virus multiplex amplified probe 3-5 targets 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

$291.82

Cash price

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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.

$521.10

Gross charge

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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.

$20.71 with blue cross blue shield vs $521.10 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
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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
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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
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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) $20.71 ↓ -93%
blue cross allina health blueprint (bdoshv) $53.06 ↓ -82%
blue cross blue shield bc state health plan (b d o s v) $53.88 ↓ -82%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc premier (b d o s v) $60.01 ↓ -79%
blue cross blue shield bc aehp (b d o s v) $70.59 ↓ -76%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc high value/performance network (bdosv) $75.78 ↓ -74%
blue cross blue shield bc aware/blue plus (b d o s v) $79.77 ↓ -73%
ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) ucare pmap (abdmnorsuv) $104.85 ↓ -64%
allina aetna medicare (b) allina aetna medicare (b) $132.79 ↓ -54%
medicare medicare (b) $139.78 ↓ -52%
medicare other all other medicare (b) $139.78 ↓ -52%
all other medicaid all other medicaid (b) $142.50 ↓ -51%
medicaid medicaid ma (b) $142.50 ↓ -51%
medica medica medicare (b) $145.37 ↓ -50%
bcbs bc medicare (b) $146.77 ↓ -50%
south country health alliance scha pmap (b) $146.78 ↓ -50%
aetna aetna elevate (bdosv) $231.52 ↓ -21%
aetna aetna performance (bdosv) $244.55 ↓ -16%
medica health system medica dual solutions (b d v o s) $265.76 ↓ -9%
aetna direct/indirect regional network aetna direct/indirect regional (bdosv) $308.91 ↑ +6%
healthpartners hpi (bdov) $352.77 ↑ +21%
united healthcare (bdohsv) united healthcare (bdosv) $359.04 ↑ +23%
medica health system medica elect (b d o s v) $381.86 ↑ +31%
health partners hpi cigna (bdov) $384.52 ↑ +32%
medica medica essentials (b d o s v) $398.69 ↑ +37%
medica mhps medica mhps (bdosv) $398.69 ↑ +37%
americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) $401.98 ↑ +38%
medica health system medica choice (b d o s v) $419.59 ↑ +44%
first health (a c e g h u b d n o r s) first health (abdmnosurv) $437.72 ↑ +50%
americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s) americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s v) $437.72 ↑ +50%
health partners hpi cigna (mu) $479.49 ↑ +64%
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) $521.10 ↑ +79%

Visitor-reported prices

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Infectious agent nucleic acid respiratory virus multiplex amplified probe 3-5 targets at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $348.00 $105.31 – $391.50
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $348.00 $105.31 – $391.50
Sanford Wheaton Wheaton $348.00 $105.31 – $391.50
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $348.00 $105.31 – $391.50
Sanford Tracy Hospital Tracy $348.00 $105.31 – $391.50
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $348.00 $149.42 – $391.50
Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls Thief River Falls $348.00 $149.42 – $391.50
United Hospital MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings $321.46 $16.78 – $256.75

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →