healthcosts.net

Shoulder MRI (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

$3,016.44

Cash price

?

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.

$3,770.55

Gross charge

?

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.

$180.60 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $3,600.88 with Medica — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
?

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
?

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 $180.60 ↓ -94%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $225.36 ↓ -93%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $241.97 ↓ -92%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $244.34 ↓ -92%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $244.34 ↓ -92%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $244.34 ↓ -92%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $244.34 ↓ -92%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $244.34 ↓ -92%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $249.09 ↓ -92%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $265.89 ↓ -91%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care $265.89 ↓ -91%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $667.21 ↓ -78%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $1,461.84 ↓ -52%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $1,461.84 ↓ -52%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota State Employees $1,696.75 ↓ -44%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $1,719.75 ↓ -43%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $1,719.75 ↓ -43%
Security Health Plan Commercial $2,073.80 ↓ -31%
Health Partners State Employees $2,322.66 ↓ -23%
Health Partners Commercial $2,677.09 ↓ -11%
Ucare Commercial $2,944.80 ↓ -2%
Aetna Commercial $3,091.85 ↑ +2%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $3,148.41 ↑ +4%
Medica Choice $3,363.33 ↑ +11%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $3,393.50 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $3,393.50 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $3,393.50 ↑ +13%
Medica Elect $3,600.88 ↑ +19%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Shoulder MRI (without contrast) at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $3,237.60 $253.81 – $3,642.30
Sanford Westbrook Hospital Westbrook $2,952.80 $253.81 – $3,321.90
Sanford Bagley Medical Center Bagley $3,040.80 $253.81 – $3,420.90
Sanford Wheaton Wheaton $2,506.40 $253.81 – $2,819.70
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $2,809.60 $253.81 – $3,160.80
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $3,040.80 $176.78 – $3,420.90
Sanford Tracy Hospital Tracy $2,952.80 $253.81 – $3,321.90
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $2,656.80 $253.81 – $2,988.90

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →