Rsv assay w/optic 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

$40.94

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.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$73.10

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.

Full explanation →

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

$12.20 with allina aetna medicare (b) vs $73.10 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
allina aetna medicare (b) allina aetna medicare (b) $12.20 ↓ -70%
medicare medicare (b) $12.84 ↓ -69%
medicare other all other medicare (b) $12.84 ↓ -69%
all other medicaid all other medicaid (b) $13.09 ↓ -68%
medicaid medicaid ma (b) $13.09 ↓ -68%
medica medica medicare (b) $13.35 ↓ -67%
blue cross blue shield bc pmap (b d o s v) $13.43 ↓ -67%
south country health alliance scha pmap (b) $13.48 ↓ -67%
bcbs bc medicare (b) $13.48 ↓ -67%
ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) ucare pmap (abdmnorsuv) $14.71 ↓ -64%
aetna aetna elevate (bdosv) $32.48 ↓ -21%
aetna aetna performance (bdosv) $34.31 ↓ -16%
blue cross allina health blueprint (bdoshv) $34.42 ↓ -16%
blue cross blue shield bc state health plan (b d o s v) $34.95 ↓ -15%
medica health system medica dual solutions (b d v o s) $37.28 ↓ -9%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc premier (b d o s v) $38.93 ↓ -5%
aetna direct/indirect regional network aetna direct/indirect regional (bdosv) $43.33 ↑ +6%
health partners hpi cigna (mu) $44.03 ↑ +8%
blue cross blue shield bc aehp (b d o s v) $45.79 ↑ +12%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc high value/performance network (bdosv) $49.15 ↑ +20%
healthpartners hpi (bdov) $49.49 ↑ +21%
united healthcare (bdohsv) united healthcare (bdosv) $50.37 ↑ +23%
blue cross blue shield bc aware/blue plus (b d o s v) $51.73 ↑ +26%
medica health system medica elect (b d o s v) $53.57 ↑ +31%
health partners hpi cigna (bdov) $53.94 ↑ +32%
medica mhps medica mhps (bdosv) $55.93 ↑ +37%
medica medica essentials (b d o s v) $55.93 ↑ +37%
americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) $56.39 ↑ +38%
medica health system medica choice (b d o s v) $58.86 ↑ +44%
first health (a c e g h u b d n o r s) first health (abdmnosurv) $61.40 ↑ +50%
americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s) americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s v) $61.40 ↑ +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) $73.10 ↑ +79%

Visitor-reported prices

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Rsv assay w/optic at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $110.40 $33.41 – $124.20
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $148.00 $41.40 – $153.90
Sanford Wheaton Wheaton $97.60 $29.54 – $109.80
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $148.00 $44.79 – $166.50
Sanford Tracy Hospital Tracy $148.00 $41.40 – $153.90
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $63.20 $27.14 – $71.10
Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls Thief River Falls $63.20 $27.14 – $71.10
United Hospital MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings $45.46 $10.88 – $30.90

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →