Echo stress 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

$1,927.20

Cash price

?

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.

$2,409.00

Gross charge

?

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.

$520.89 with Sanford Health Plan Align vs $2,213.87 with Medica — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
?

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
?

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 $520.89 ↓ -73%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $559.27 ↓ -71%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $564.75 ↓ -71%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $564.75 ↓ -71%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $564.75 ↓ -71%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $564.75 ↓ -71%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $564.75 ↓ -71%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $575.72 ↓ -70%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $1,068.39 ↓ -45%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $1,218.23 ↓ -37%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $1,256.78 ↓ -35%
Security Health Plan Commercial $1,324.95 ↓ -31%
Health Partners State Employees $1,334.59 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial $1,433.11 ↓ -26%
Health Partners Commercial $1,517.67 ↓ -21%
Ucare Commercial $1,881.43 ↓ -2%
Aetna Commercial $1,975.38 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $2,011.52 ↑ +4%
Medica Choice $2,069.33 ↑ +7%
Multiplan Commercial $2,168.10 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $2,168.10 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $2,168.10 ↑ +13%
Medica Elect $2,213.87 ↑ +15%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Commercial not published by hospital —
Wellmark HMO not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Echo stress at other South-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center Clear Lake $2,159.20 $1,384.59 – $2,429.10
Sanford USD Medical Center Sioux Falls $2,205.60 $185.08 – $2,419.20
Sanford Hospital Webster Webster $1,928.00 $756.74 – $2,169.00
Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center Chamberlain $2,222.40 $950.08 – $2,500.20
Sanford Canton Inwood Medical Center Canton $2,113.60 $903.56 – $2,377.80
Sanford Vermillion Hospital Vermillion $2,027.20 $747.53 – $2,280.60

All South-dakota hospitals for this procedure →