Heparin bolus from bag 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

$327.36

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.

$409.20

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.

$1.00 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $350.26 with Multiplan — 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 $1.00 ↓ -100%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial $1.00 ↓ -100%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota State Employees $1.00 ↓ -100%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $102.94 ↓ -69%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $117.38 ↓ -64%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $121.11 ↓ -63%
Health Partners State Employees $130.38 ↓ -60%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $138.08 ↓ -58%
Health Partners Commercial $151.78 ↓ -54%
Security Health Plan Commercial $214.05 ↓ -35%
United Healthcare CSP Top 20 $261.92 ↓ -20%
Medica Choice $262.31 ↓ -20%
Ucare Commercial $273.55 ↓ -16%
Medica Elect $280.60 ↓ -14%
Aetna Commercial $297.72 ↓ -9%
United Healthcare Commercial $342.87 ↑ +5%
Healthez Commercial $350.26 ↑ +7%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $350.26 ↑ +7%
Multiplan Commercial $350.26 ↑ +7%
Wellmark HMO/PPO not published by hospital —
Aetna Medicare Replacement not published by hospital —
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement not published by hospital —
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement not published by hospital —
Health Partners Medicare Replacement not published by hospital —
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital —
Primewest Medicare Replacement not published by hospital —
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement not published by hospital —
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care not published by hospital —
Ucare Medicare Replacement not published by hospital —
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Heparin bolus from bag at other South-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center Clear Lake $110.06 $38.93 – $68.29
Sanford Hospital Webster Webster $76.84 $22.22 – $63.70
Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center Chamberlain $141.16 $25.78 – $67.84
Sanford Canton Inwood Medical Center Canton $125.40 $25.72 – $67.68
Sanford Vermillion Hospital Vermillion $189.68 $22.44 – $68.46

All South-dakota hospitals for this procedure →