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Neck MRA (blood vessel MRI, with contrast) at Sanford Medical Center Hillsboro

12 3rd St SE, Hillsboro, ND · Sanford Health · · NPI 1184725194

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

$2,444.80

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.

$3,056.00

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.

$607.75 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $2,838.11 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
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $607.75 ↓ -75%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial $1,215.50 ↓ -50%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $1,393.54 ↓ -43%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $1,497.44 ↓ -39%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $1,509.66 ↓ -38%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $1,509.66 ↓ -38%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $1,509.66 ↓ -38%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $1,509.66 ↓ -38%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $1,509.66 ↓ -38%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $1,540.22 ↓ -37%
Security Health Plan Commercial $1,680.80 ↓ -31%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Commercial $1,983.96 ↓ -19%
Health Partners Commercial $2,383.68 ↓ -3%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $2,412.41 ↓ -1%
Medica Choice $2,521.20 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $2,551.76 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $2,655.66 ↑ +9%
Ucare Commercial $2,685.00 ↑ +10%
Medica Elect $2,695.39 ↑ +10%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $2,750.40 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $2,750.40 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $2,750.40 ↑ +13%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers/Group Health/True/SD Exchange Commercial $2,838.11 ↑ +16%

Visitor-reported prices

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Neck MRA (blood vessel MRI, with contrast) at other North-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Medical Center Bismarck Bismarck $2,399.20 $252.65 – $2,699.10
Sanford Fargo Medical Center Fargo $3,083.20 $252.65 – $3,468.60
Sanford Medical Center Mayville Mayville $2,444.80 $607.75 – $2,750.40

All North-dakota hospitals for this procedure →