Venipuncture >= 3 years diagnostic/therapeutic (not to be used for routine venipuncture) 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

$179.20

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.

$224.00

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.

$1.00 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $201.60 with First Choice Health Network — 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
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial $1.00 ↓ -99%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $1.00 ↓ -99%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $8.99 ↓ -95%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $8.99 ↓ -95%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $8.99 ↓ -95%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $8.99 ↓ -95%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $16.21 ↓ -91%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $17.41 ↓ -90%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $17.58 ↓ -90%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $17.58 ↓ -90%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $17.58 ↓ -90%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $17.58 ↓ -90%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $17.58 ↓ -90%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $17.58 ↓ -90%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $17.92 ↓ -90%
Health Partners Commercial $91.84 ↓ -49%
Medica Choice $100.80 ↓ -44%
Medica Elect $107.74 ↓ -40%
Security Health Plan Commercial $123.20 ↓ -31%
United Healthcare CSP Top 20 $142.02 ↓ -21%
Ucare Commercial $157.45 ↓ -12%
Aetna Commercial $191.52 ↑ +7%
United Healthcare Commercial $195.10 ↑ +9%
Cigna Commercial $201.60 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $201.60 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $201.60 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $201.60 ↑ +13%
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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Venipuncture >= 3 years diagnostic/therapeutic (not to be used for routine venipuncture) at other North-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Medical Center Bismarck Bismarck $64.80 $8.99 – $72.90

All North-dakota hospitals for this procedure →