Cytopathology concentration technique smears & interpretation at Sanford Westbrook Hospital

920 Bell Ave, Westbrook, MN · Sanford Health · · NPI 1942253547

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

$467.20

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.

$584.00

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.

$141.39 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $548.96 with Medica — 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
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $141.39 ↓ -70%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $249.95 ↓ -47%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $268.06 ↓ -43%
Wellmark SD Medicare Replacement $268.06 ↓ -43%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $270.98 ↓ -42%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $270.98 ↓ -42%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $270.98 ↓ -42%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $270.98 ↓ -42%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $275.94 ↓ -41%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $295.50 ↓ -37%
Security Health Plan Commercial $321.20 ↓ -31%
Health Partners State Employees $402.38 ↓ -14%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $461.01 ↓ -1%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $461.01 ↓ -1%
Health Partners Commercial $467.20 ↑ +0%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota State Employees $477.71 ↑ +2%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $487.64 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $507.50 ↑ +9%
Ucare Commercial $513.10 ↑ +10%
Medica Choice $513.34 ↑ +10%
Healthez Commercial $525.60 ↑ +13%
Cigna Commercial $525.60 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $525.60 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $525.60 ↑ +13%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $540.32 ↑ +16%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $542.36 ↑ +16%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $542.36 ↑ +16%
Medica Elect $548.96 ↑ +18%
Ucare 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

Cytopathology concentration technique smears & interpretation at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $119.20 $36.07 – $134.10
Sanford Bagley Medical Center Bagley $130.40 $39.46 – $146.70
Sanford Wheaton Wheaton $134.40 $40.67 – $151.20
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $166.40 $50.36 – $187.20
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $130.40 $28.94 – $146.70
Sanford Worthington Medical Center Worthington $192.80 $29.56 – $216.90
Sanford Tracy Hospital Tracy $467.20 $141.39 – $525.60
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $117.60 $50.49 – $132.30

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →