MRI upper extremity other than joint without & w/contrast (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

$4,528.80

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.

Full explanation →

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

$5,661.00

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.

$170.46 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota vs $5,094.90 with First Choice Health Network — 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 $170.46 ↓ -96%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $339.27 ↓ -93%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $364.27 ↓ -92%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $367.84 ↓ -92%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $367.84 ↓ -92%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $367.84 ↓ -92%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $367.84 ↓ -92%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $367.84 ↓ -92%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $374.99 ↓ -92%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $403.06 ↓ -91%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care $403.06 ↓ -91%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $421.09 ↓ -91%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $421.09 ↓ -91%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $421.09 ↓ -91%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $421.09 ↓ -91%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota State Employees $472.36 ↓ -90%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial $483.70 ↓ -89%
Health Partners State Employees $1,896.44 ↓ -58%
Health Partners Commercial $2,207.79 ↓ -51%
Security Health Plan Commercial $3,113.55 ↓ -31%
United Healthcare CSP Top 20 $3,809.85 ↓ -16%
Medica Choice $3,815.51 ↓ -16%
Ucare Commercial $3,979.12 ↓ -12%
Medica Elect $4,081.58 ↓ -10%
Aetna Commercial $4,330.67 ↓ -4%
United Healthcare Commercial $4,987.34 ↑ +10%
Multiplan Commercial $5,094.90 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $5,094.90 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $5,094.90 ↑ +13%
Wellmark HMO/PPO not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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MRI upper extremity other than joint without & w/contrast (both sides) at other South-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center Clear Lake $3,820.80 $1,215.50 – $4,298.40
Sanford Hospital Webster Webster $3,932.80 $1,543.62 – $4,424.40
Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center Chamberlain $3,728.80 $1,594.06 – $4,194.90
Sanford Canton Inwood Medical Center Canton $3,564.80 $1,523.95 – $4,010.40
Sanford Vermillion Hospital Vermillion $4,216.00 $1,554.65 – $4,743.00
Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center Aberdeen $3,544.80 $339.27 – $3,987.90

All South-dakota hospitals for this procedure →