Surgical pathology level 4 gross & microscopic examination 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

$145.60

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.

$182.00

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.

$70.98 with Sanford Health Plan Align vs $171.08 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
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $70.98 ↓ -51%
Wellmark SD Medicare Replacement $76.08 ↓ -48%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $76.08 ↓ -48%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $76.80 ↓ -47%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $76.80 ↓ -47%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $76.80 ↓ -47%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $76.80 ↓ -47%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $78.35 ↓ -46%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $79.75 ↓ -45%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $88.09 ↓ -39%
Security Health Plan Commercial $100.10 ↓ -31%
Health Partners State Employees $125.40 ↓ -14%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $143.67 ↓ -1%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $143.67 ↓ -1%
Health Partners Commercial $145.60 ↑ +0%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $151.97 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $158.16 ↑ +9%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota State Employees $159.50 ↑ +10%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $159.50 ↑ +10%
Ucare Commercial $159.91 ↑ +10%
Medica Choice $159.98 ↑ +10%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $163.80 ↑ +13%
Cigna Commercial $163.80 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $163.80 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $163.80 ↑ +13%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $169.02 ↑ +16%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $169.02 ↑ +16%
Medica Elect $171.08 ↑ +18%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Surgical pathology level 4 gross & microscopic examination at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $115.20 $65.66 – $129.60
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $145.60 $77.90 – $163.80
Sanford Bagley Medical Center Bagley $176.00 $79.75 – $198.00
Sanford Wheaton Wheaton $154.40 $79.75 – $173.70
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $128.80 $56.67 – $144.90
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $176.00 $39.09 – $198.00
Sanford Worthington Medical Center Worthington $323.20 $39.93 – $363.60
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $148.00 $42.18 – $99.90

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →