Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site at Sanford USD Medical Center

1305 W 18th St, Sioux Falls, SD · Sanford Health · · NPI 1821017880

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 4, 2026 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$115.20

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.

$144.00

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.

$48.24 with Health Partners vs $1,081.53 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota — 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
Health Partners State Employees $48.24 ↓ -58%
Health Partners Commercial $56.16 ↓ -51%
Security Health Plan Commercial $79.20 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $91.21 ↓ -21%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $91.21 ↓ -21%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $91.21 ↓ -21%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $91.21 ↓ -21%
United Healthcare CSP Top 20 $96.91 ↓ -16%
Medica Choice $97.06 ↓ -16%
Ucare Commercial $101.22 ↓ -12%
Medica Elect $103.82 ↓ -10%
Aetna Commercial $110.16 ↓ -4%
United Healthcare Commercial $126.86 ↑ +10%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $129.60 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $129.60 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $129.60 ↑ +13%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $381.13 ↑ +231%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $776.06 ↑ +574%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $833.24 ↑ +623%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $841.41 ↑ +630%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $841.41 ↑ +630%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $841.41 ↑ +630%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $841.41 ↑ +630%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $841.41 ↑ +630%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $857.75 ↑ +645%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota State Employees $1,056.19 ↑ +817%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial $1,081.53 ↑ +839%
Wellmark HMO/PPO not published by hospital —
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital —
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care 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

Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site at other South-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center Clear Lake $88.00 $56.43 – $99.00
Sanford Hospital Webster Webster $103.20 $40.51 – $116.10
Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center Chamberlain $185.60 $79.34 – $208.80
Sanford Canton Inwood Medical Center Canton $108.00 $46.17 – $121.50
Sanford Vermillion Hospital Vermillion $101.60 $37.47 – $114.30
Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center Aberdeen $1,336.00 $740.65 – $1,503.00

All South-dakota hospitals for this procedure →