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Chest CT scan (with contrast) at Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center

2905 3rd Ave SE, Aberdeen, SD · Sanford Health · · NPI 1235406455

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

$2,472.00

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.

$3,090.00

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.

$169.12 with Sanford Health Plan Align vs $2,839.71 with Medica — 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 Align Medicare Replacement $169.12 ↓ -93%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $181.58 ↓ -93%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $183.36 ↓ -93%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $183.36 ↓ -93%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $183.36 ↓ -93%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $183.36 ↓ -93%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $183.36 ↓ -93%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $186.92 ↓ -92%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $1,370.42 ↓ -45%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $1,562.61 ↓ -37%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $1,612.05 ↓ -35%
Security Health Plan Commercial $1,699.50 ↓ -31%
Health Partners State Employees $1,711.86 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial $1,838.24 ↓ -26%
Health Partners Commercial $1,946.70 ↓ -21%
Ucare Commercial $2,413.29 ↓ -2%
Aetna Commercial $2,533.80 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $2,580.15 ↑ +4%
Medica Choice $2,654.31 ↑ +7%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $2,781.00 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $2,781.00 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $2,781.00 ↑ +13%
Medica Elect $2,839.71 ↑ +15%
Wellmark HMO not published by hospital
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Commercial not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Chest CT scan (with contrast) at other South-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center Clear Lake $2,666.40 $893.20 – $2,999.70
Sanford USD Medical Center Sioux Falls $2,969.60 $81.44 – $3,340.80
Sanford Hospital Webster Webster $2,691.20 $1,056.30 – $3,027.60
Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center Chamberlain $2,841.60 $1,214.78 – $3,196.80
Sanford Canton Inwood Medical Center Canton $2,216.00 $947.34 – $2,493.00
Sanford Vermillion Hospital Vermillion $2,300.80 $848.42 – $2,588.40

All South-dakota hospitals for this procedure →