Bundled special stain group 1 microorganisms 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

$217.60

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.

$272.00

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.

$83.81 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $229.36 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 $83.81 ↓ -61%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $92.72 ↓ -57%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $99.55 ↓ -54%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $100.53 ↓ -54%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $100.53 ↓ -54%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $100.53 ↓ -54%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $100.53 ↓ -54%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $100.53 ↓ -54%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $102.48 ↓ -53%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/TRUE $130.74 ↓ -40%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $130.74 ↓ -40%
Security Health Plan Commercial $134.20 ↓ -38%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $153.79 ↓ -29%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $153.79 ↓ -29%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $168.60 ↓ -23%
Health Partners Commercial $197.64 ↓ -9%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $203.74 ↓ -6%
Aetna Commercial $212.04 ↓ -3%
Ucare Commercial $214.38 ↓ -1%
Medica Choice $214.48 ↓ -1%
Cigna Commercial $219.60 ↑ +1%
Multiplan Commercial $219.60 ↑ +1%
Healthez Commercial $219.60 ↑ +1%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $219.60 ↑ +1%
Medica Elect $229.36 ↑ +5%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital —
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Bundled special stain group 1 microorganisms at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $217.60 $83.81 – $219.60
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $196.00 $59.31 – $220.50
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $225.60 $68.27 – $253.80
Sanford Bagley Medical Center Bagley $217.60 $65.85 – $244.80
Sanford Wheaton Wheaton $144.00 $43.58 – $162.00
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $224.00 $67.79 – $252.00
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $217.60 $39.09 – $244.80
Sanford Worthington Medical Center Worthington $217.60 $39.93 – $244.80

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →