healthcosts.net

Diabetes (HbA1c) Test at Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center

3001 Sanford Pkwy, Thief River Falls, MN · Sanford Health · · NPI 1043218753

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

$67.20

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.

$84.00

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.

$14.82 with Sanford Health Plan Align vs $77.00 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota — 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
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $14.82 ↓ -78%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $15.91 ↓ -76%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $16.07 ↓ -76%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $16.07 ↓ -76%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $16.07 ↓ -76%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $16.07 ↓ -76%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $16.07 ↓ -76%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $16.38 ↓ -76%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/TRUE $20.90 ↓ -69%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $20.90 ↓ -69%
Security Health Plan Commercial $21.45 ↓ -68%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $24.58 ↓ -63%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $24.58 ↓ -63%
Health Partners Commercial $31.59 ↓ -53%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $32.57 ↓ -52%
Aetna Commercial $33.89 ↓ -50%
Ucare Commercial $34.27 ↓ -49%
Medica Choice $34.28 ↓ -49%
Cigna Commercial $35.10 ↓ -48%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $35.10 ↓ -48%
Healthez Commercial $35.10 ↓ -48%
Multiplan Commercial $35.10 ↓ -48%
Medica Elect $36.66 ↓ -45%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $38.50 ↓ -43%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $77.00 ↑ +15%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Diabetes (HbA1c) Test at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls Thief River Falls $67.20 $14.82 – $35.10
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $87.20 $38.50 – $98.10
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $117.60 $38.50 – $132.30
Sanford Wheaton Wheaton $68.80 $38.50 – $77.40
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $55.20 $24.29 – $62.10
Sanford Tracy Hospital Tracy $117.60 $38.50 – $132.30
Sanford Bagley Medical Center Bagley not published $38.50 – $38.50
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji not published $9.22 – $10.20

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →