Removal cerumen impacted (both sides) 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

$230.40

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.

$288.00

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.

$62.37 with Primewest vs $270.72 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 $62.37 ↓ -73%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care $62.37 ↓ -73%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $98.93 ↓ -57%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $109.44 ↓ -53%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $117.50 ↓ -49%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $118.66 ↓ -48%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $118.66 ↓ -48%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $118.66 ↓ -48%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $118.66 ↓ -48%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $118.66 ↓ -48%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $120.96 ↓ -48%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $154.31 ↓ -33%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/TRUE $154.31 ↓ -33%
Security Health Plan Commercial $158.40 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $181.53 ↓ -21%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $181.53 ↓ -21%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $199.01 ↓ -14%
Health Partners Commercial $233.28 ↑ +1%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $240.48 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $250.27 ↑ +9%
Ucare Commercial $253.04 ↑ +10%
Medica Choice $253.15 ↑ +10%
Multiplan Commercial $259.20 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $259.20 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $259.20 ↑ +13%
Cigna Commercial $259.20 ↑ +13%
Medica Elect $270.72 ↑ +18%

Visitor-reported prices

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Removal cerumen impacted (both sides) at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls Thief River Falls $230.40 $62.37 – $259.20
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $288.80 $62.37 – $324.90
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $133.60 $40.43 – $150.30
Sanford Bagley Medical Center Bagley $192.00 $58.10 – $216.00
Sanford Wheaton Wheaton $172.80 $52.29 – $194.40
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $192.00 $44.13 – $216.00
Sanford Worthington Medical Center Worthington $134.40 $45.08 – $151.20
Sanford Tracy Hospital Tracy $133.60 $40.43 – $150.30

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →