Observation direct referral from physician office for admission at River Falls Area Hospital

1617 E Division St, River Falls, MN · Allinahealth · · NPI 1285691725

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Jun 15, 2026 · Ingested Sep 17, 2026

$171.36

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.

$306.00

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.

$61.57 with ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) vs $1,416.39 with bc high value/ performance network (r) — 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
ucare pmap (a b c d e g n o s u r h) ucare pmap (abdmnorsuv) $61.57 ↓ -64%
medica health system medica pmap (r) $82.31 ↓ -52%
medicare other all other medicare (r) $129.47 ↓ -24%
bcbs bc medicare (r) $135.94 ↓ -21%
medica medica medicare (r) $135.94 ↓ -21%
medica health system medica dual solutions (r) $137.70 ↓ -20%
south country health alliance scha msho (r) $142.42 ↓ -17%
all other medicaid all other medicaid (r) $146.88 ↓ -14%
south country health alliance scha pmap (r) $151.29 ↓ -12%
aetna aetna elevate (n r) $187.49 ↑ +9%
aetna aetna performance (n r) $202.54 ↑ +18%
americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) americas ppo (araz)(b d n o r s v) $236.05 ↑ +38%
americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s) americas ppo (araz) (b d n h o r s v) $257.04 ↑ +50%
first health (a c e g h u b d n o r s) first health (abdmnosurv) $257.04 ↑ +50%
aetna direct/indirect network aetna direct/indirect network (n r) $258.81 ↑ +51%
medica ub health (r) medica ub health (r) $266.22 ↑ +55%
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) $306.00 ↑ +79%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc pmap (r) $323.99 ↑ +89%
medicaid medicaid ma (r) $567.39 ↑ +231%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc state health plan (r) $873.10 ↑ +410%
bc aware/blue plus (nr) bc aware/blue plus (nr) $997.29 ↑ +482%
blue cross blue shield of minnesota bc premier (r) $1,121.61 ↑ +555%
bcbs bc aehp (r) $1,319.48 ↑ +670%
bc high value/ performance network (r) bc high value/ performance network (r) $1,416.39 ↑ +727%

Visitor-reported prices

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Observation direct referral from physician office for admission at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $194.40 $58.83 – $218.70
Sanford Bagley Medical Center Bagley $200.00 $60.53 – $225.00
Sanford Wheaton Wheaton $212.00 $64.16 – $238.50
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $196.80 $59.56 – $221.40
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $200.00 $113.93 – $631.78
Sanford Worthington Medical Center Worthington $76.00 $36.83 – $631.78
Sanford Tracy Hospital Tracy $194.40 $58.83 – $218.70
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $225.60 $96.87 – $253.80

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →