Electron microscopy diagnostic 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

$1,022.40

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.

$1,278.00

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.

$381.13 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $1,150.20 with Healthez — 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
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $381.13 ↓ -63%
Health Partners State Employees $428.13 ↓ -58%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $483.67 ↓ -53%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $483.67 ↓ -53%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $483.67 ↓ -53%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $483.67 ↓ -53%
Health Partners Commercial $498.42 ↓ -51%
Security Health Plan Commercial $702.90 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $776.06 ↓ -24%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $833.24 ↓ -19%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $841.41 ↓ -18%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $841.41 ↓ -18%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $841.41 ↓ -18%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $841.41 ↓ -18%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $841.41 ↓ -18%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $857.75 ↓ -16%
United Healthcare CSP Top 20 $860.09 ↓ -16%
Medica Choice $861.37 ↓ -16%
Ucare Commercial $898.31 ↓ -12%
Medica Elect $921.44 ↓ -10%
Aetna Commercial $977.67 ↓ -4%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota State Employees $1,056.19 ↑ +3%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial $1,081.53 ↑ +6%
United Healthcare Commercial $1,125.92 ↑ +10%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $1,150.20 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $1,150.20 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $1,150.20 ↑ +13%
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

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Electron microscopy diagnostic at other South-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center Aberdeen not published $776.06 – $857.75

All South-dakota hospitals for this procedure →