Electron microscopy diagnostic 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

$1,024.80

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.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$1,281.00

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.

$440.02 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $1,204.14 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 $440.02 ↓ -57%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $486.78 ↓ -53%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $522.65 ↓ -49%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $527.77 ↓ -49%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $527.77 ↓ -49%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $527.77 ↓ -49%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $527.77 ↓ -49%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $527.77 ↓ -49%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $538.02 ↓ -48%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/TRUE $686.36 ↓ -33%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $686.36 ↓ -33%
Security Health Plan Commercial $704.55 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $807.41 ↓ -21%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $807.41 ↓ -21%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $885.17 ↓ -14%
Health Partners Commercial $1,037.61 ↑ +1%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $1,069.64 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $1,113.19 ↑ +9%
Ucare Commercial $1,125.49 ↑ +10%
Medica Choice $1,126.00 ↑ +10%
Cigna Commercial $1,152.90 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $1,152.90 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $1,152.90 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $1,152.90 ↑ +13%
Medica Elect $1,204.14 ↑ +18%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital —
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Electron microscopy diagnostic at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $1,024.80 $440.02 – $1,152.90
United Hospital MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings $889.87 $51.59 – $871.84
Owatonna Hospital Owatonna $833.00 $63.66 – $957.64
Abbott Northwestern Hospital MN 55407 $889.87 $51.59 – $2,045.11
Allina Health Faribault Medical Center Faribualt $833.00 $63.66 – $957.64
New Ulm Medical Center MN 56073 $1,047.20 $82.94 – $1,427.37
Mercy Hospital MN 55443 | 550 Osborne Road NE. Fridley $889.87 $51.59 – $863.53
Buffalo Hospital Buffalo $833.00 $63.66 – $957.64

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →