MRI lower extremity other than joint without & w/contrast (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

$3,580.80

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.

$4,476.00

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.

$339.27 with Sanford Health Plan Align vs $4,113.44 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 $339.27 ↓ -91%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $364.27 ↓ -90%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $367.84 ↓ -90%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $367.84 ↓ -90%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $367.84 ↓ -90%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $367.84 ↓ -90%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $367.84 ↓ -90%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $374.99 ↓ -90%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $1,985.11 ↓ -45%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $2,263.51 ↓ -37%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $2,335.13 ↓ -35%
Security Health Plan Commercial $2,461.80 ↓ -31%
Health Partners State Employees $2,479.70 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial $2,662.77 ↓ -26%
Health Partners Commercial $2,819.88 ↓ -21%
Ucare Commercial $3,495.76 ↓ -2%
Aetna Commercial $3,670.32 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $3,737.46 ↑ +4%
Medica Choice $3,844.88 ↑ +7%
Multiplan Commercial $4,028.40 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $4,028.40 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $4,028.40 ↑ +13%
Medica Elect $4,113.44 ↑ +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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MRI lower extremity other than joint without & w/contrast (both sides) at other South-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center Clear Lake $3,926.40 $1,215.50 – $4,417.20
Sanford USD Medical Center Sioux Falls $4,484.80 $170.46 – $5,045.40
Sanford Hospital Webster Webster $3,785.60 $1,485.85 – $4,258.80
Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center Chamberlain $3,632.00 $1,552.68 – $4,086.00
Sanford Canton Inwood Medical Center Canton $3,608.00 $1,542.42 – $4,059.00
Sanford Vermillion Hospital Vermillion $3,972.00 $1,464.68 – $4,468.50

All South-dakota hospitals for this procedure →