Smear gram stain at Allina Health Faribault Medical Center
200 State Avenue, Faribualt, MN · Allinahealth · · NPI 1154741577
$29.12
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.
$52.00
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.
$3.97 with allina aetna medicare (v) vs $51.73 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 →
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| allina aetna medicare (v) | allina aetna medicare (v) | $3.97 | ↓ -86% |
| medicare | medicare (v) | $4.18 | ↓ -86% |
| medicare other | all other medicare (v) | $4.18 | ↓ -86% |
| medicaid ma | medicaid ma (v) | $4.27 | ↓ -85% |
| all other medicaid (v) | all other medicaid (v) | $4.27 | ↓ -85% |
| medica medicare | medica medicare (v) | $4.35 | ↓ -85% |
| bcbs | bc medicare (v) | $4.39 | ↓ -85% |
| south country health alliance | scha pmap (v) | $4.40 | ↓ -85% |
| scha msho (v) | scha msho (v) | $4.60 | ↓ -84% |
| ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) | ucare pmap (abdmnorsuv) | $7.85 | ↓ -73% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc pmap (b d o s v) | $13.43 | ↓ -54% |
| aetna | aetna elevate (bdosv) | $17.33 | ↓ -40% |
| aetna | aetna performance (bdosv) | $18.30 | ↓ -37% |
| medica health system | medica dual solutions (b d v o s) | $19.89 | ↓ -32% |
| aetna direct/indirect regional network | aetna direct/indirect regional (bdosv) | $23.12 | ↓ -21% |
| healthpartners | hpi (bdov) | $26.40 | ↓ -9% |
| united healthcare (bdohsv) | united healthcare (bdosv) | $26.87 | ↓ -8% |
| medica health system | medica elect (b d o s v) | $28.58 | ↓ -2% |
| health partners | hpi cigna (bdov) | $28.78 | ↓ -1% |
| medica | medica essentials (b d o s v) | $29.84 | ↑ +2% |
| medica mhps | medica mhps (bdosv) | $29.84 | ↑ +2% |
| americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) | americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) | $30.08 | ↑ +3% |
| medica health system | medica choice (b d o s v) | $31.40 | ↑ +8% |
| americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s) | americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s v) | $32.76 | ↑ +13% |
| first health (a c e g h u b d n o r s) | first health (abdmnosurv) | $32.76 | ↑ +13% |
| blue cross | allina health blueprint (bdoshv) | $34.42 | ↑ +18% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc state health plan (b d o s v) | $34.95 | ↑ +20% |
| blue cross blue shield of minnesota | bc premier (b d o s v) | $38.93 | ↑ +34% |
| 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) | $39.00 | ↑ +34% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc aehp (b d o s v) | $45.79 | ↑ +57% |
| blue cross blue shield of minnesota | bc high value/performance network (bdosv) | $49.15 | ↑ +69% |
| blue cross blue shield | bc aware/blue plus (b d o s v) | $51.73 | ↑ +78% |
Visitor-reported prices
Comments
Smear gram stain at other Minnesota hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford Canby Medical Center | Canby | $55.20 | $16.70 – $62.10 |
| Sanford Westbrook Hospital | Westbrook | $64.80 | $19.61 – $72.90 |
| Sanford Wheaton | Wheaton | $44.80 | $13.56 – $50.40 |
| Sanford Luverne Medical Center | Luverne | $28.00 | $8.47 – $31.50 |
| Sanford Tracy Hospital | Tracy | $64.80 | $19.61 – $72.90 |
| Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center | Thief River Falls | $72.00 | $30.92 – $81.00 |
| Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls | Thief River Falls | $72.00 | $30.92 – $81.00 |
| United Hospital | MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings | $31.92 | $3.97 – $30.90 |