Spinal puncture lumbar diagnostic w/fluoroscopic or CT guidance at Buffalo Hospital
303 Catlin St, Buffalo, MN · Allinahealth · · NPI 1538123567
$1,053.36
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.
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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.
$1,881.00
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.
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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.
$222.84 with blue cross blue shield vs $3,760.50 with medica ub health (b) — 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 →
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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 ?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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| blue cross blue shield | bc pmap (b d o s v) | $222.84 | ↓ -79% |
| ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) | ucare pmap (abdmnorsuv) | $378.46 | ↓ -64% |
| blue cross | allina health blueprint (bdoshv) | $477.53 | ↓ -55% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc state health plan (b d o s v) | $484.98 | ↓ -54% |
| blue cross blue shield of minnesota | bc premier (b d o s v) | $540.10 | ↓ -49% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc aehp (b d o s v) | $635.36 | ↓ -40% |
| all other medicaid | all other medicaid (b) | $672.53 | ↓ -36% |
| medicaid | medicaid ma (b) | $672.53 | ↓ -36% |
| blue cross blue shield of minnesota | bc high value/performance network (bdosv) | $682.05 | ↓ -35% |
| allina aetna medicare (b) | allina aetna medicare (b) | $691.10 | ↓ -34% |
| south country health alliance | scha pmap (b) | $692.71 | ↓ -34% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc aware/blue plus (b d o s v) | $717.93 | ↓ -32% |
| medicare | medicare (b) | $727.47 | ↓ -31% |
| medicare other | all other medicare (b) | $727.47 | ↓ -31% |
| medica | medica medicare (b) | $756.57 | ↓ -28% |
| bcbs | bc medicare (b) | $763.84 | ↓ -27% |
| aetna | aetna elevate (bdosv) | $835.73 | ↓ -21% |
| aetna | aetna performance (bdosv) | $882.75 | ↓ -16% |
| aetna direct/indirect regional network | aetna direct/indirect regional (bdosv) | $1,115.06 | ↑ +6% |
| healthpartners | hpi (bdov) | $1,273.38 | ↑ +21% |
| health partners | hpi cigna (bdov) | $1,387.98 | ↑ +32% |
| americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) | americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) | $1,451.00 | ↑ +38% |
| first health (a c e g h u b d n o r s) | first health (abdmnosurv) | $1,580.04 | ↑ +50% |
| americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s) | americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s v) | $1,580.04 | ↑ +50% |
| health partners | hpi cigna (mu) | $1,733.71 | ↑ +65% |
| medica health system | medica dual solutions (b d v o s) | $1,769.00 | ↑ +68% |
| 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) | $1,881.00 | ↑ +79% |
| united healthcare (bdohsv) | united healthcare (bdosv) | $3,161.00 | ↑ +200% |
| medica health system | medica elect (b d o s v) | $3,421.60 | ↑ +225% |
| medica | medica essentials (b d o s v) | $3,572.45 | ↑ +239% |
| medica mhps | medica mhps (bdosv) | $3,572.45 | ↑ +239% |
| medica health system | medica choice (b d o s v) | $3,760.00 | ↑ +257% |
| medica ub health (b) | medica ub health (b) | $3,760.50 | ↑ +257% |
Visitor-reported prices
Comments
Spinal puncture lumbar diagnostic w/fluoroscopic or CT guidance at other Minnesota hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford Bemidji Medical Center | Bemidji | $1,952.00 | $498.90 – $2,196.00 |
| Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center | Thief River Falls | $1,511.20 | $648.87 – $1,700.10 |
| Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls | Thief River Falls | $1,511.20 | $648.87 – $1,700.10 |
| United Hospital | MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings | $1,263.07 | $202.22 – $3,243.00 |
| Owatonna Hospital | Owatonna | $1,053.36 | $222.84 – $3,572.45 |
| Abbott Northwestern Hospital | MN 55407 | $1,263.07 | $202.22 – $3,243.00 |
| Allina Health Faribault Medical Center | Faribualt | $1,053.36 | $222.84 – $3,572.45 |
| New Ulm Medical Center | MN 56073 | $1,272.60 | $221.91 – $1,858.43 |