Varus/valgus strap padded/li 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

$52.88

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.

$66.10

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.

$27.10 with Health Partners vs $87.93 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 $27.10 ↓ -49%
Medica Choice $29.75 ↓ -44%
Medica Elect $31.79 ↓ -40%
Security Health Plan Commercial $36.36 ↓ -31%
United Healthcare CSP Top 20 $41.91 ↓ -21%
Ucare Commercial $46.46 ↓ -12%
Aetna Commercial $56.52 ↑ +7%
United Healthcare Commercial $57.57 ↑ +9%
Cigna Commercial $59.49 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $59.49 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $59.49 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $59.49 ↑ +13%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $63.11 ↑ +19%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $66.43 ↑ +26%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $67.76 ↑ +28%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $68.42 ↑ +29%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $68.42 ↑ +29%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $68.42 ↑ +29%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $68.42 ↑ +29%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $68.42 ↑ +29%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $68.42 ↑ +29%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $68.90 ↑ +30%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial $68.90 ↑ +30%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $69.75 ↑ +32%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $74.74 ↑ +41%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $83.53 ↑ +58%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $87.93 ↑ +66%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Commercial not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Varus/valgus strap padded/li at other North-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Medical Center Bismarck Bismarck not published $63.11 – $69.75

All North-dakota hospitals for this procedure →