Special radiation dosimetry 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

$501.14

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.

Full explanation →

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

$894.90

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.

Full explanation →

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

$128.06 with medicaid vs $1,073.42 with blue cross blue shield — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
medicaid medicaid ma (b) $128.06 ↓ -74%
all other medicaid all other medicaid (b) $128.06 ↓ -74%
allina aetna medicare (b) allina aetna medicare (b) $131.66 ↓ -74%
south country health alliance scha pmap (b) $131.90 ↓ -74%
medicare other all other medicare (b) $138.59 ↓ -72%
medicare medicare (b) $138.59 ↓ -72%
medica medica medicare (b) $144.13 ↓ -71%
bcbs bc medicare (b) $145.52 ↓ -71%
ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) ucare pmap (abdmnorsuv) $180.05 ↓ -64%
blue cross blue shield bc pmap (b d o s v) $261.36 ↓ -48%
health partners hpi cigna (mu) $332.40 ↓ -34%
aetna aetna elevate (bdosv) $397.60 ↓ -21%
aetna aetna performance (bdosv) $419.98 ↓ -16%
medica health system medica dual solutions (b d v o s) $456.40 ↓ -9%
aetna direct/indirect regional network aetna direct/indirect regional (bdosv) $530.50 ↑ +6%
healthpartners hpi (bdov) $605.82 ↑ +21%
united healthcare (bdohsv) united healthcare (bdosv) $616.59 ↑ +23%
medica health system medica elect (b d o s v) $655.78 ↑ +31%
health partners hpi cigna (bdov) $660.34 ↑ +32%
medica medica essentials (b d o s v) $684.69 ↑ +37%
medica mhps medica mhps (bdosv) $684.69 ↑ +37%
americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) $690.33 ↑ +38%
medica ub health (b) medica ub health (b) $714.13 ↑ +43%
blue cross allina health blueprint (bdoshv) $714.23 ↑ +43%
medica health system medica choice (b d o s v) $720.57 ↑ +44%
blue cross blue shield bc state health plan (b d o s v) $725.20 ↑ +45%
americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s) americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s v) $751.72 ↑ +50%
first health (a c e g h u b d n o r s) first health (abdmnosurv) $751.72 ↑ +50%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc premier (b d o s v) $807.54 ↑ +61%
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) $894.90 ↑ +79%
blue cross blue shield bc aehp (b d o s v) $949.98 ↑ +90%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc high value/performance network (bdosv) $1,019.73 ↑ +103%
blue cross blue shield bc aware/blue plus (b d o s v) $1,073.42 ↑ +114%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Special radiation dosimetry at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $709.60 $97.88 – $798.30
Sanford Worthington Medical Center Worthington $985.60 $100.00 – $1,108.80
United Hospital MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings $286.85 $128.06 – $587.96
Owatonna Hospital Owatonna $501.14 $128.06 – $807.54
Abbott Northwestern Hospital MN 55407 $286.85 $128.06 – $332.40
Allina Health Faribault Medical Center Faribualt $501.14 $128.06 – $807.54
Mercy Hospital MN 55443 | 550 Osborne Road NE. Fridley $286.85 $128.06 – $225.32
Cambridge Medical Center Cambridge $501.14 $128.06 – $807.54

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →