Upper GI Barium X-ray (barium and gas) 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

$811.20

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.

$1,014.00

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.

$186.92 with Primewest vs $953.16 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
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $186.92 ↓ -77%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care $186.92 ↓ -77%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $348.31 ↓ -57%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $385.32 ↓ -53%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $413.71 ↓ -49%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $417.77 ↓ -48%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $417.77 ↓ -48%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $417.77 ↓ -48%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $417.77 ↓ -48%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $417.77 ↓ -48%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $425.88 ↓ -48%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $543.30 ↓ -33%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/TRUE $543.30 ↓ -33%
Security Health Plan Commercial $557.70 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $639.12 ↓ -21%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $639.12 ↓ -21%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $700.67 ↓ -14%
Health Partners Commercial $821.34 ↑ +1%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $846.69 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $881.17 ↑ +9%
Ucare Commercial $890.90 ↑ +10%
Medica Choice $891.31 ↑ +10%
Multiplan Commercial $912.60 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $912.60 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $912.60 ↑ +13%
Cigna Commercial $912.60 ↑ +13%
Medica Elect $953.16 ↑ +18%

Visitor-reported prices

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Upper GI Barium X-ray (barium and gas) at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $811.20 $186.92 – $912.60
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $744.80 $186.92 – $837.90
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $1,020.00 $132.55 – $1,147.50
Sanford Worthington Medical Center Worthington $899.20 $135.41 – $1,011.60
United Hospital MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings $207.79 $115.72 – $331.00
Owatonna Hospital Owatonna $208.99 $164.00 – $385.78
Abbott Northwestern Hospital MN 55407 $207.79 $115.72 – $445.67
Allina Health Faribault Medical Center Faribualt $208.99 $164.00 – $385.78

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →