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Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) X-ray 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

$288.80

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.

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

$361.00

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.

$81.04 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $344.76 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 $81.04 ↓ -72%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $99.14 ↓ -66%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $106.45 ↓ -63%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $107.49 ↓ -63%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $107.49 ↓ -63%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $107.49 ↓ -63%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $107.49 ↓ -63%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $107.49 ↓ -63%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $109.58 ↓ -62%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $116.97 ↓ -59%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care $116.97 ↓ -59%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $139.96 ↓ -52%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $139.96 ↓ -52%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota State Employees $162.45 ↓ -44%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $164.65 ↓ -43%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $164.65 ↓ -43%
Security Health Plan Commercial $198.55 ↓ -31%
Health Partners State Employees $222.38 ↓ -23%
Health Partners Commercial $256.31 ↓ -11%
Ucare Commercial $281.94 ↓ -2%
Aetna Commercial $296.02 ↑ +3%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $299.39 ↑ +4%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $301.44 ↑ +4%
Medica Choice $322.01 ↑ +11%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $324.90 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $324.90 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $324.90 ↑ +13%
Medica Elect $344.76 ↑ +19%

Visitor-reported prices

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Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) X-ray at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $425.60 $111.66 – $478.80
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $501.60 $111.66 – $564.30
Sanford Bagley Medical Center Bagley $444.00 $111.66 – $499.50
Sanford Wheaton Wheaton $397.60 $111.66 – $447.30
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $274.40 $83.04 – $308.70
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $444.00 $79.32 – $499.50
Sanford Tracy Hospital Tracy $501.60 $111.66 – $564.30
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $412.00 $111.66 – $463.50

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →