Afo w/ankle joint, prefab at Sanford Fargo Medical Center

5225 23rd Ave S, Fargo, ND · Sanford Health · · NPI 1528009412

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

$255.57

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.

$319.46

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.

$130.98 with Health Partners vs $755.67 with Sanford Health Plan — 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
Health Partners Commercial $130.98 ↓ -49%
Medica Choice $143.76 ↓ -44%
Medica Elect $153.66 ↓ -40%
Security Health Plan Commercial $175.70 ↓ -31%
United Healthcare CSP Top 20 $202.54 ↓ -21%
Ucare Commercial $224.55 ↓ -12%
Aetna Commercial $273.14 ↑ +7%
United Healthcare Commercial $278.25 ↑ +9%
Healthez Commercial $287.51 ↑ +12%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $287.51 ↑ +12%
Multiplan Commercial $287.51 ↑ +12%
Cigna Commercial $287.51 ↑ +12%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $523.98 ↑ +105%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial $523.98 ↑ +105%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $542.37 ↑ +112%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $570.92 ↑ +123%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $582.34 ↑ +128%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $588.05 ↑ +130%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $588.05 ↑ +130%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $588.05 ↑ +130%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $588.05 ↑ +130%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $588.05 ↑ +130%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $588.05 ↑ +130%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $599.47 ↑ +135%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $642.34 ↑ +151%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $717.87 ↑ +181%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $755.67 ↑ +196%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Commercial not published by hospital
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Afo w/ankle joint, prefab at other North-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Medical Center Bismarck Bismarck not published $542.37 – $599.47

All North-dakota hospitals for this procedure →