Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection major joint/bursa w/ultrasound guidance (both sides) at Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls

120 Labree Ave S, Thief River Falls, MN · Sanford Health · · NPI 1790842466

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

$951.20

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.

$1,189.00

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.

Full explanation →

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

$309.95 with Primewest vs $1,117.66 with Medica — 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
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $309.95 ↓ -67%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care $309.95 ↓ -67%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $408.42 ↓ -57%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $451.82 ↓ -53%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $485.11 ↓ -49%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $489.87 ↓ -48%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $489.87 ↓ -48%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $489.87 ↓ -48%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $489.87 ↓ -48%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $489.87 ↓ -48%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $499.38 ↓ -48%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $637.07 ↓ -33%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/TRUE $637.07 ↓ -33%
Security Health Plan Commercial $653.95 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $749.43 ↓ -21%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $749.43 ↓ -21%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $821.60 ↓ -14%
Health Partners Commercial $963.09 ↑ +1%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $992.82 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $1,033.24 ↑ +9%
Ucare Commercial $1,044.66 ↑ +10%
Medica Choice $1,045.13 ↑ +10%
Multiplan Commercial $1,070.10 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $1,070.10 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $1,070.10 ↑ +13%
Cigna Commercial $1,070.10 ↑ +13%
Medica Elect $1,117.66 ↑ +18%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection major joint/bursa w/ultrasound guidance (both sides) at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $951.20 $309.95 – $1,070.10
Sanford Bagley Medical Center Bagley $956.00 $289.31 – $1,075.50
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $956.00 $213.67 – $1,075.50
United Hospital MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings $647.09 $168.08 – $3,243.00
Owatonna Hospital Owatonna $348.82 $241.41 – $1,002.38
Abbott Northwestern Hospital MN 55407 $647.09 $168.08 – $3,243.00
Allina Health Faribault Medical Center Faribualt $348.82 $241.41 – $1,002.38
New Ulm Medical Center MN 56073 $414.06 $251.85 – $698.15

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →