CT t-spine w /wo 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

$2,676.00

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.

$3,345.00

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 $3,074.06 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 ↓ -94%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $181.58 ↓ -93%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $183.36 ↓ -93%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $183.36 ↓ -93%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $183.36 ↓ -93%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $183.36 ↓ -93%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $183.36 ↓ -93%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $186.92 ↓ -93%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $1,483.51 ↓ -45%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $1,691.57 ↓ -37%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $1,745.09 ↓ -35%
Security Health Plan Commercial $1,839.75 ↓ -31%
Health Partners State Employees $1,853.13 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial $1,989.94 ↓ -26%
Health Partners Commercial $2,107.35 ↓ -21%
Ucare Commercial $2,612.45 ↓ -2%
Aetna Commercial $2,742.90 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $2,793.08 ↑ +4%
Medica Choice $2,873.36 ↑ +7%
Multiplan Commercial $3,010.50 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $3,010.50 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $3,010.50 ↑ +13%
Medica Elect $3,074.06 ↑ +15%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Commercial not published by hospital —
Wellmark HMO not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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CT t-spine w /wo contrast at other South-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford USD Medical Center Sioux Falls $3,156.00 $81.44 – $3,550.50
Sanford Hospital Webster Webster $3,301.60 $1,295.88 – $3,714.30
Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center Chamberlain $2,957.60 $1,264.37 – $3,327.30
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center Clear Lake not published $893.20 – $893.20

All South-dakota hospitals for this procedure →