Large Joint Injection or Fluid Draw (both sides) 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

$900.00

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.

$1,125.00

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.

$45.27 with Sanford Health Plan vs $1,012.50 with First Choice Health Network — 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
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $45.27 ↓ -95%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $45.27 ↓ -95%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $45.27 ↓ -95%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $45.27 ↓ -95%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $131.28 ↓ -85%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $280.43 ↓ -69%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $301.09 ↓ -67%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $304.05 ↓ -66%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $304.05 ↓ -66%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $304.05 ↓ -66%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $304.05 ↓ -66%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $304.05 ↓ -66%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $309.95 ↓ -66%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care $310.42 ↓ -66%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $310.42 ↓ -66%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota State Employees $363.79 ↓ -60%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial $372.52 ↓ -59%
Health Partners State Employees $376.88 ↓ -58%
Health Partners Commercial $438.75 ↓ -51%
Security Health Plan Commercial $618.75 ↓ -31%
United Healthcare CSP Top 20 $757.13 ↓ -16%
Medica Choice $758.25 ↓ -16%
Ucare Commercial $790.76 ↓ -12%
Medica Elect $811.13 ↓ -10%
Aetna Commercial $860.63 ↓ -4%
United Healthcare Commercial $991.13 ↑ +10%
Multiplan Commercial $1,012.50 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $1,012.50 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $1,012.50 ↑ +13%
Wellmark HMO/PPO 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

Large Joint Injection or Fluid Draw (both sides) at other South-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center Clear Lake $883.20 $566.35 – $993.60
Sanford Hospital Webster Webster $727.20 $285.43 – $818.10
Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center Chamberlain $778.40 $332.77 – $875.70
Sanford Canton Inwood Medical Center Canton $745.60 $318.74 – $838.80
Sanford Vermillion Hospital Vermillion $498.40 $183.79 – $560.70
Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center Aberdeen $754.40 $280.43 – $848.70

All South-dakota hospitals for this procedure →