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Neck (Cervical Spine) MRI (without contrast) 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

$2,218.40

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.

$2,773.00

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.

$195.73 with Sanford Health Plan vs $2,495.70 with Multiplan — 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 Commercial/ND Pers $195.73 ↓ -91%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $195.73 ↓ -91%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $195.73 ↓ -91%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $195.73 ↓ -91%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $229.63 ↓ -90%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $246.55 ↓ -89%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $248.97 ↓ -89%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $248.97 ↓ -89%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $248.97 ↓ -89%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $248.97 ↓ -89%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $248.97 ↓ -89%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $253.81 ↓ -89%
Health Partners Commercial $1,275.58 ↓ -43%
Security Health Plan Commercial $1,525.15 ↓ -31%
Medica Choice $1,888.41 ↓ -15%
Ucare Commercial $1,949.14 ↓ -12%
Medica Elect $2,021.52 ↓ -9%
United Healthcare CSP Top 20 $2,024.29 ↓ -9%
United Healthcare Commercial $2,301.59 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $2,345.96 ↑ +6%
Cigna Commercial $2,495.70 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $2,495.70 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $2,495.70 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $2,495.70 ↑ +13%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Commercial not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Neck (Cervical Spine) MRI (without contrast) at other North-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Medical Center Hillsboro Hillsboro $2,066.40 $578.05 – $2,324.70
Sanford Fargo Medical Center Fargo $3,425.60 $178.53 – $3,853.80
Sanford Medical Center Mayville Mayville $2,066.40 $578.05 – $2,324.70

All North-dakota hospitals for this procedure →