Surgical pathology level 1 gross examination only 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

$56.00

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.

$70.00

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.

$16.95 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $65.80 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.

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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 $16.95 ↓ -70%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $35.28 ↓ -37%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $37.87 ↓ -32%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $38.22 ↓ -32%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $38.22 ↓ -32%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $38.22 ↓ -32%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $38.22 ↓ -32%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $38.22 ↓ -32%
Security Health Plan Commercial $38.50 ↓ -31%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $38.96 ↓ -30%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $42.35 ↓ -24%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Commercial $48.18 ↓ -14%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $55.26 ↓ -1%
Health Partners Commercial $56.70 ↑ +1%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $58.45 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $60.83 ↑ +9%
Ucare Commercial $61.50 ↑ +10%
Medica Choice $61.53 ↑ +10%
Multiplan Commercial $63.00 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $63.00 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $63.00 ↑ +13%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $64.76 ↑ +16%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $65.01 ↑ +16%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers/SD Exchange Commercial $65.01 ↑ +16%
Medica Elect $65.80 ↑ +18%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Surgical pathology level 1 gross examination only at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $34.40 $10.41 – $38.70
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $64.00 $19.37 – $72.00
Sanford Bagley Medical Center Bagley $120.80 $36.56 – $135.90
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $37.60 $11.38 – $42.30
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $120.80 $21.49 – $135.90
Sanford Worthington Medical Center Worthington $111.20 $21.95 – $125.10
Sanford Tracy Hospital Tracy $64.00 $19.37 – $72.00
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $59.20 $25.42 – $66.60

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →