Lung function test (mbc/mvv) 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

$175.73

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.

$313.80

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.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$56.21 with medicaid vs $460.43 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 →

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
medicaid medicaid ma (b) $56.21 ↓ -68%
all other medicaid all other medicaid (b) $56.21 ↓ -68%
allina aetna medicare (b) allina aetna medicare (b) $57.76 ↓ -67%
south country health alliance scha pmap (b) $57.90 ↓ -67%
medicare medicare (b) $60.80 ↓ -65%
medicare other all other medicare (b) $60.80 ↓ -65%
ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) ucare pmap (abdmnorsuv) $63.14 ↓ -64%
medica medica medicare (b) $63.23 ↓ -64%
bcbs bc medicare (b) $63.84 ↓ -64%
blue cross blue shield bc pmap (b d o s v) $119.49 ↓ -32%
aetna aetna elevate (bdosv) $139.42 ↓ -21%
aetna aetna performance (bdosv) $147.27 ↓ -16%
health partners hpi cigna (mu) $148.70 ↓ -15%
medica health system medica dual solutions (b d v o s) $160.04 ↓ -9%
aetna direct/indirect regional network aetna direct/indirect regional (bdosv) $186.02 ↑ +6%
healthpartners hpi (bdov) $212.43 ↑ +21%
united healthcare (bdohsv) united healthcare (bdosv) $216.21 ↑ +23%
medica health system medica elect (b d o s v) $229.95 ↑ +31%
health partners hpi cigna (bdov) $231.55 ↑ +32%
medica medica essentials (b d o s v) $240.09 ↑ +37%
medica mhps medica mhps (bdosv) $240.09 ↑ +37%
americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) $242.07 ↑ +38%
medica ub health (b) medica ub health (b) $250.41 ↑ +42%
medica health system medica choice (b d o s v) $252.67 ↑ +44%
americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s) americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s v) $263.59 ↑ +50%
first health (a c e g h u b d n o r s) first health (abdmnosurv) $263.59 ↑ +50%
blue cross allina health blueprint (bdoshv) $306.27 ↑ +74%
blue cross blue shield bc state health plan (b d o s v) $311.03 ↑ +77%
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) $313.80 ↑ +79%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc premier (b d o s v) $346.38 ↑ +97%
blue cross blue shield bc aehp (b d o s v) $407.49 ↑ +132%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc high value/performance network (bdosv) $437.41 ↑ +149%
blue cross blue shield bc aware/blue plus (b d o s v) $460.43 ↑ +162%

Visitor-reported prices

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Lung function test (mbc/mvv) at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Worthington Medical Center Worthington $95.20 $45.08 – $107.10
United Hospital MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings $119.81 $54.09 – $274.91
Owatonna Hospital Owatonna $175.73 $56.21 – $346.38
Abbott Northwestern Hospital MN 55407 $119.81 $54.09 – $148.70
Allina Health Faribault Medical Center Faribualt $175.73 $56.21 – $346.38
Mercy Hospital MN 55443 | 550 Osborne Road NE. Fridley $119.81 $54.09 – $96.84
Cambridge Medical Center Cambridge $175.73 $56.21 – $346.38
River Falls Area Hospital River Falls $175.73 $56.21 – $757.04

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →