Cytopathology concentration technique smears & interpretation at Sanford Wheaton

401 12th St N, Wheaton, MN · Sanford Health · · NPI 1154615573

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

$134.40

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.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$168.00

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.

$40.67 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $157.92 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
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $40.67 ↓ -70%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $84.67 ↓ -37%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $90.89 ↓ -32%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $91.73 ↓ -32%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $91.73 ↓ -32%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $91.73 ↓ -32%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $91.73 ↓ -32%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $91.73 ↓ -32%
Security Health Plan Commercial $92.40 ↓ -31%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $93.49 ↓ -30%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $101.64 ↓ -24%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Commercial $115.63 ↓ -14%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $132.62 ↓ -1%
Health Partners Commercial $136.08 ↑ +1%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $140.28 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $145.99 ↑ +9%
Ucare Commercial $147.60 ↑ +10%
Medica Choice $147.67 ↑ +10%
Multiplan Commercial $151.20 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $151.20 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $151.20 ↑ +13%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $155.43 ↑ +16%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $156.02 ↑ +16%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers/SD Exchange Commercial $156.02 ↑ +16%
Medica Elect $157.92 ↑ +18%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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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 Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $467.20 $141.39 – $525.60
Sanford Bagley Medical Center Bagley $130.40 $39.46 – $146.70
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 →