Myelography l-s spine at Sanford Medical Center Bismarck

300 N 7th Street, Bismarck, ND · Sanford Health · · NPI 1538245634

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

$1,204.80

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.

$1,506.00

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.

$108.85 with Sanford Health Plan vs $1,355.40 with Cigna — 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 Group Health/True $108.85 ↓ -91%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $108.85 ↓ -91%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $108.85 ↓ -91%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $108.85 ↓ -91%
Health Partners Commercial $692.76 ↓ -43%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $750.56 ↓ -38%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $805.86 ↓ -33%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $813.76 ↓ -32%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $813.76 ↓ -32%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $813.76 ↓ -32%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $813.76 ↓ -32%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $813.76 ↓ -32%
Security Health Plan Commercial $828.30 ↓ -31%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $829.56 ↓ -31%
Medica Choice $1,025.59 ↓ -15%
Ucare Commercial $1,058.57 ↓ -12%
Medica Elect $1,097.87 ↓ -9%
United Healthcare CSP Top 20 $1,099.38 ↓ -9%
United Healthcare Commercial $1,249.98 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $1,274.08 ↑ +6%
Multiplan Commercial $1,355.40 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $1,355.40 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $1,355.40 ↑ +13%
Cigna Commercial $1,355.40 ↑ +13%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Commercial not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Myelography l-s spine at other North-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Fargo Medical Center Fargo $1,588.80 $108.85 – $1,787.40

All North-dakota hospitals for this procedure →