X-ray surgical specimen 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

$335.20

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.

$419.00

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.

$162.45 with Sanford Health Plan vs $1,502.15 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 $162.45 ↓ -52%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $162.45 ↓ -52%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota State Employees $188.55 ↓ -44%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $191.11 ↓ -43%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $191.11 ↓ -43%
Security Health Plan Commercial $230.45 ↓ -31%
Health Partners State Employees $258.10 ↓ -23%
Health Partners Commercial $297.49 ↓ -11%
Ucare Commercial $327.24 ↓ -2%
Aetna Commercial $343.58 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $349.87 ↑ +4%
Medica Choice $373.75 ↑ +12%
Multiplan Commercial $377.10 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $377.10 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $377.10 ↑ +13%
Medica Elect $400.15 ↑ +19%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $406.59 ↑ +21%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $511.20 ↑ +53%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $548.86 ↑ +64%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $554.24 ↑ +65%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $554.24 ↑ +65%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $554.24 ↑ +65%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $554.24 ↑ +65%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $554.24 ↑ +65%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $565.01 ↑ +69%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care $603.12 ↑ +80%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $603.12 ↑ +80%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial/Federal $1,502.15 ↑ +348%

Visitor-reported prices

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X-ray surgical specimen at other Minnesota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby $715.20 $216.44 – $804.60
Sanford Luverne Medical Center Luverne $372.80 $112.82 – $419.40
Sanford Bemidji Medical Center Bemidji $720.00 $397.99 – $810.00
Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center Thief River Falls $464.80 $199.57 – $522.90
Sanford Behavioral Health Thief River Falls Thief River Falls $464.80 $199.57 – $522.90
United Hospital MN | 1175 Nininger Road. Hastings $69.26 $56.44 – $650.75
Owatonna Hospital Owatonna $69.66 $69.64 – $584.50
Abbott Northwestern Hospital MN 55407 $69.26 $56.44 – $1,372.67

All Minnesota hospitals for this procedure →