Artery x-rays spine 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

$3,516.80

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.

$4,396.00

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.

$249.99 with Sanford Health Plan vs $9,703.85 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 Commercial/ND Pers $249.99 ↓ -93%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $249.99 ↓ -93%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $249.99 ↓ -93%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $249.99 ↓ -93%
Health Partners Commercial $1,802.36 ↓ -49%
Medica Choice $1,978.20 ↓ -44%
Medica Elect $2,114.48 ↓ -40%
Security Health Plan Commercial $2,417.80 ↓ -31%
United Healthcare CSP Top 20 $2,787.06 ↓ -21%
Ucare Commercial $3,089.95 ↓ -12%
Aetna Commercial $3,758.58 ↑ +7%
United Healthcare Commercial $3,828.92 ↑ +9%
Multiplan Commercial $3,956.40 ↑ +13%
Cigna Commercial $3,956.40 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $3,956.40 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $3,956.40 ↑ +13%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $4,003.89 ↑ +14%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $5,135.42 ↑ +46%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $5,513.81 ↑ +57%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $5,567.87 ↑ +58%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $5,567.87 ↑ +58%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $5,567.87 ↑ +58%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $5,567.87 ↑ +58%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $5,567.87 ↑ +58%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $5,567.87 ↑ +58%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $5,675.99 ↑ +61%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care $5,759.51 ↑ +64%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $5,759.51 ↑ +64%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial $9,703.85 ↑ +176%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Commercial not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Artery x-rays spine at other North-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Medical Center Bismarck Bismarck $5,004.00 $249.99 – $5,675.99

All North-dakota hospitals for this procedure →