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Blood Culture Test at Sanford Luverne Medical Center

1600 N Kniss Ave, Luverne, MN · Sanford Health · · NPI 1497703045

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 4, 2026 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$72.80

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.

$91.00

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.

$22.03 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $86.09 with Medica — 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
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $22.03 ↓ -70%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $32.03 ↓ -56%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $34.31 ↓ -53%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $34.67 ↓ -52%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $34.67 ↓ -52%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $34.67 ↓ -52%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $34.67 ↓ -52%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $34.67 ↓ -52%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $35.35 ↓ -51%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $43.04 ↓ -41%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $48.76 ↓ -33%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $48.76 ↓ -33%
Security Health Plan Commercial $50.05 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $57.36 ↓ -21%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $57.36 ↓ -21%
Health Partners State Employees $62.70 ↓ -14%
Health Partners Commercial $72.80 ↑ +0%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota State Employees $74.44 ↑ +2%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $75.99 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $79.08 ↑ +9%
Ucare Commercial $79.95 ↑ +10%
Medica Choice $79.99 ↑ +10%
Cigna Commercial $81.90 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $81.90 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $81.90 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $81.90 ↑ +13%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $84.19 ↑ +16%
Medica Elect $86.09 ↑ +18%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Blood Culture Test at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $133.60 $40.43 – $150.30
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $149.60 $45.27 – $168.30
Sanford Wheaton Wheaton $119.20 $36.07 – $134.10
Sanford Tracy Hospital Tracy $149.60 $45.27 – $168.30
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $145.60 $62.52 – $163.80
Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls Thief River Falls $145.60 $62.52 – $163.80
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji not published $9.80 – $10.84
Sanford Worthington Medical Center Worthington not published $9.80 – $10.84

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →