Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) X-ray (2 views) 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

$400.80

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.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$501.00

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.

$101.02 with Sanford Health Plan Align vs $460.42 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 $101.02 ↓ -75%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $108.47 ↓ -73%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $109.53 ↓ -73%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $109.53 ↓ -73%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $109.53 ↓ -73%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $109.53 ↓ -73%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $109.53 ↓ -73%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $111.66 ↓ -72%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $222.19 ↓ -45%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $253.36 ↓ -37%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $261.37 ↓ -35%
Security Health Plan Commercial $275.55 ↓ -31%
Health Partners State Employees $277.55 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial $298.04 ↓ -26%
Health Partners Commercial $315.63 ↓ -21%
Ucare Commercial $391.28 ↓ -2%
Aetna Commercial $410.82 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $418.34 ↑ +4%
Medica Choice $430.36 ↑ +7%
Multiplan Commercial $450.90 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $450.90 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $450.90 ↑ +13%
Medica Elect $460.42 ↑ +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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Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) X-ray (2 views) at other South-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center Clear Lake $404.00 $259.07 – $454.50
Sanford USD Medical Center Sioux Falls $502.40 $32.95 – $565.20
Sanford Hospital Webster Webster $400.80 $157.31 – $450.90
Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center Chamberlain $420.80 $179.89 – $473.40
Sanford Canton Inwood Medical Center Canton $331.20 $141.59 – $372.60
Sanford Vermillion Hospital Vermillion $324.80 $119.77 – $365.40

All South-dakota hospitals for this procedure →