Drainage of mouth lesion 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

$3,232.80

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.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$4,041.00

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.

$258.64 with Sanford Health Plan vs $5,685.30 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 $258.64 ↓ -92%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $258.64 ↓ -92%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $258.64 ↓ -92%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $258.64 ↓ -92%
Health Partners Commercial $1,656.81 ↓ -49%
Medica Choice $1,818.45 ↓ -44%
Medica Elect $1,943.72 ↓ -40%
Security Health Plan Commercial $2,222.55 ↓ -31%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $2,345.80 ↓ -27%
United Healthcare CSP Top 20 $2,561.99 ↓ -21%
Ucare Commercial $2,840.42 ↓ -12%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $3,080.92 ↓ -5%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $3,307.93 ↑ +2%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $3,340.36 ↑ +3%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $3,340.36 ↑ +3%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $3,340.36 ↑ +3%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $3,340.36 ↑ +3%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $3,340.36 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $3,340.36 ↑ +3%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $3,374.38 ↑ +4%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care $3,374.38 ↑ +4%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $3,405.22 ↑ +5%
Aetna Commercial $3,455.06 ↑ +7%
United Healthcare Commercial $3,519.71 ↑ +9%
Healthez Commercial $3,636.90 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $3,636.90 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $3,636.90 ↑ +13%
Cigna Commercial $3,636.90 ↑ +13%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial $5,685.30 ↑ +76%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Commercial not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Drainage of mouth lesion at other North-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Medical Center Bismarck Bismarck $3,908.00 $258.64 – $4,396.50

All North-dakota hospitals for this procedure →