Sedimentation rate erythrocyte automated 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

$38.81

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.

$69.30

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.

$2.52 with allina aetna medicare (b) vs $34.20 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) $2.52 ↓ -94%
blue cross blue shield bc pmap (b d o s v) $2.53 ↓ -93%
medicare other all other medicare (b) $2.65 ↓ -93%
medicare medicare (b) $2.65 ↓ -93%
all other medicaid all other medicaid (b) $2.70 ↓ -93%
medicaid medicaid ma (b) $2.70 ↓ -93%
medica medica medicare (b) $2.76 ↓ -93%
south country health alliance scha pmap (b) $2.78 ↓ -93%
bcbs bc medicare (b) $2.78 ↓ -93%
blue cross allina health blueprint (bdoshv) $5.20 ↓ -87%
blue cross blue shield bc state health plan (b d o s v) $5.28 ↓ -86%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc premier (b d o s v) $5.88 ↓ -85%
ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) ucare pmap (abdmnorsuv) $6.88 ↓ -82%
blue cross blue shield bc aehp (b d o s v) $6.92 ↓ -82%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc high value/performance network (bdosv) $7.43 ↓ -81%
blue cross blue shield bc aware/blue plus (b d o s v) $7.82 ↓ -80%
health partners hpi cigna (mu) $8.81 ↓ -77%
aetna aetna elevate (bdosv) $15.20 ↓ -61%
aetna aetna performance (bdosv) $16.05 ↓ -59%
medica health system medica dual solutions (b d v o s) $17.44 ↓ -55%
aetna direct/indirect regional network aetna direct/indirect regional (bdosv) $20.27 ↓ -48%
healthpartners hpi (bdov) $23.15 ↓ -40%
united healthcare (bdohsv) united healthcare (bdosv) $23.56 ↓ -39%
medica health system medica elect (b d o s v) $25.06 ↓ -35%
health partners hpi cigna (bdov) $25.24 ↓ -35%
medica medica essentials (b d o s v) $26.17 ↓ -33%
medica mhps medica mhps (bdosv) $26.17 ↓ -33%
americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) $26.38 ↓ -32%
medica health system medica choice (b d o s v) $27.54 ↓ -29%
first health (a c e g h u b d n o r s) first health (abdmnosurv) $28.73 ↓ -26%
americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s) americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s v) $28.73 ↓ -26%
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) $34.20 ↓ -12%

Visitor-reported prices

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Sedimentation rate erythrocyte automated at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $59.20 $17.92 – $66.60
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $45.60 $13.80 – $51.30
Sanford Wheaton Wheaton $36.80 $11.14 – $41.40
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $20.80 $6.29 – $23.40
Sanford Tracy Hospital Tracy $45.60 $13.80 – $51.30
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $43.20 $18.55 – $48.60
Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls Thief River Falls $43.20 $18.55 – $48.60
United Hospital MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings $42.48 $1.76 – $4.71

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →