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Head CT scan (with and without contrast) at Sanford Worthington Medical Center

1018 6th Ave, Worthington, MN · Sanford Health · · NPI 1396712618

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

$2,056.80

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.

$2,571.00

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.

$135.41 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $2,455.31 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 $135.41 ↓ -93%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $165.97 ↓ -92%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $178.20 ↓ -91%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $179.95 ↓ -91%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $179.95 ↓ -91%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $179.95 ↓ -91%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $179.95 ↓ -91%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $179.95 ↓ -91%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $183.44 ↓ -91%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $195.82 ↓ -90%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care $195.82 ↓ -90%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $500.29 ↓ -76%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $996.78 ↓ -52%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $996.78 ↓ -52%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota State Employees $1,156.95 ↓ -44%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $1,172.63 ↓ -43%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $1,172.63 ↓ -43%
Security Health Plan Commercial $1,414.05 ↓ -31%
Health Partners State Employees $1,583.74 ↓ -23%
Health Partners Commercial $1,825.41 ↓ -11%
Ucare Commercial $2,007.95 ↓ -2%
Aetna Commercial $2,108.22 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $2,146.79 ↑ +4%
Medica Choice $2,293.33 ↑ +11%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $2,313.90 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $2,313.90 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $2,313.90 ↑ +13%
Medica Elect $2,455.31 ↑ +19%

Visitor-reported prices

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Head CT scan (with and without contrast) at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $2,569.60 $186.92 – $2,890.80
Sanford Bagley Medical Center Bagley $2,363.20 $186.92 – $2,658.60
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $2,852.00 $186.92 – $3,208.50
Sanford Wheaton Wheaton $2,337.60 $186.92 – $2,629.80
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $2,568.80 $186.92 – $2,889.90
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $2,363.20 $132.55 – $2,658.60
Sanford Tracy Hospital Tracy $2,852.00 $186.92 – $3,208.50
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $2,371.20 $186.92 – $2,667.60

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →