Puncture spinal lumbar diagnostic 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

$913.60

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.

$1,142.00

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.

$434.61 with Sanford Health Plan vs $1,883.02 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota — 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
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $434.61 ↓ -52%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $434.61 ↓ -52%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota State Employees $504.45 ↓ -45%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $509.68 ↓ -44%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $511.29 ↓ -44%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $511.29 ↓ -44%
Security Health Plan Commercial $616.55 ↓ -33%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $645.66 ↓ -29%
Health Partners State Employees $690.54 ↓ -24%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $693.23 ↓ -24%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $700.03 ↓ -23%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $700.03 ↓ -23%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $700.03 ↓ -23%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $700.03 ↓ -23%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $700.03 ↓ -23%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $713.62 ↓ -22%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $761.77 ↓ -17%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care $761.77 ↓ -17%
Health Partners Commercial $795.91 ↓ -13%
Ucare Commercial $875.50 ↓ -4%
Aetna Commercial $919.22 ↑ +1%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $936.04 ↑ +2%
Medica Choice $999.93 ↑ +9%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $1,008.90 ↑ +10%
Healthez Commercial $1,008.90 ↑ +10%
Multiplan Commercial $1,008.90 ↑ +10%
Medica Elect $1,070.56 ↑ +17%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $1,883.02 ↑ +106%

Visitor-reported prices

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Puncture spinal lumbar diagnostic at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $992.80 $300.45 – $1,116.90
Sanford Bagley Medical Center Bagley $1,302.40 $394.14 – $1,465.20
Sanford Wheaton Wheaton $1,243.20 $376.22 – $1,398.60
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $1,175.20 $355.64 – $1,322.10
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $1,302.40 $498.90 – $1,465.20
Sanford Tracy Hospital Tracy $992.80 $300.45 – $1,116.90
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $1,176.80 $505.29 – $1,323.90
Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls Thief River Falls $1,176.80 $505.29 – $1,323.90

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →