Large Joint Injection or Fluid Draw (both sides) 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

$754.40

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.

$943.00

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.

$280.43 with Sanford Health Plan Align vs $866.62 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 $280.43 ↓ -63%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $301.09 ↓ -60%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $304.05 ↓ -60%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $304.05 ↓ -60%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $304.05 ↓ -60%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $304.05 ↓ -60%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $304.05 ↓ -60%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $309.95 ↓ -59%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $418.22 ↓ -45%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $476.88 ↓ -37%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $491.96 ↓ -35%
Security Health Plan Commercial $518.65 ↓ -31%
Health Partners State Employees $522.42 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial $560.99 ↓ -26%
Health Partners Commercial $594.09 ↓ -21%
Ucare Commercial $736.48 ↓ -2%
Aetna Commercial $773.26 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $787.41 ↑ +4%
Medica Choice $810.04 ↑ +7%
Multiplan Commercial $848.70 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $848.70 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $848.70 ↑ +13%
Medica Elect $866.62 ↑ +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

Large Joint Injection or Fluid Draw (both sides) at other South-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center Clear Lake $883.20 $566.35 – $993.60
Sanford USD Medical Center Sioux Falls $900.00 $45.27 – $1,012.50
Sanford Hospital Webster Webster $727.20 $285.43 – $818.10
Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center Chamberlain $778.40 $332.77 – $875.70
Sanford Canton Inwood Medical Center Canton $745.60 $318.74 – $838.80
Sanford Vermillion Hospital Vermillion $498.40 $183.79 – $560.70

All South-dakota hospitals for this procedure →