Consultation pathology during surgery frozen section first tissue block at Sanford Tracy Hospital

251 5th St E, Tracy, MN · Sanford Health · · NPI 1003851171

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

$120.00

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.

$150.00

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.

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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$36.32 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $141.00 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.

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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 $36.32 ↓ -70%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $58.50 ↓ -51%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $62.70 ↓ -48%
Wellmark SD Medicare Replacement $62.70 ↓ -48%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $63.30 ↓ -47%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $63.30 ↓ -47%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $63.30 ↓ -47%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $63.30 ↓ -47%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $64.58 ↓ -46%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $72.60 ↓ -40%
Security Health Plan Commercial $82.50 ↓ -31%
Health Partners State Employees $103.35 ↓ -14%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $118.41 ↓ -1%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $118.41 ↓ -1%
Health Partners Commercial $120.00 ↑ +0%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota State Employees $122.70 ↑ +2%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $125.25 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $130.35 ↑ +9%
Ucare Commercial $131.79 ↑ +10%
Medica Choice $131.85 ↑ +10%
Healthez Commercial $135.00 ↑ +13%
Cigna Commercial $135.00 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $135.00 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $135.00 ↑ +13%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $138.78 ↑ +16%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $139.31 ↑ +16%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $139.31 ↑ +16%
Medica Elect $141.00 ↑ +18%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Consultation pathology during surgery frozen section first tissue block at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $104.80 $31.72 – $117.90
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $120.00 $36.32 – $135.00
Sanford Wheaton Wheaton $207.20 $62.70 – $233.10
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $122.40 $37.04 – $137.70
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $265.60 $123.23 – $298.80
Sanford Worthington Medical Center Worthington $296.80 $125.89 – $333.90
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $250.40 $107.52 – $281.70
Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls Thief River Falls $250.40 $107.52 – $281.70

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →