Observation direct referral from physician office for admission 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

$111.20

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.

$139.00

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.

$36.77 with Sanford Health Plan vs $807.88 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota — 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
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $36.77 ↓ -67%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $41.92 ↓ -62%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $43.26 ↓ -61%
Health Partners State Employees $46.57 ↓ -58%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $49.32 ↓ -56%
Health Partners Commercial $54.21 ↓ -51%
Security Health Plan Commercial $76.45 ↓ -31%
United Healthcare CSP Top 20 $93.55 ↓ -16%
Medica Choice $93.69 ↓ -16%
Ucare Commercial $97.70 ↓ -12%
Medica Elect $100.22 ↓ -10%
Aetna Commercial $106.34 ↓ -4%
United Healthcare Commercial $122.46 ↑ +10%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $125.10 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $125.10 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $125.10 ↑ +13%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota PMAP $284.70 ↑ +156%
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $582.45 ↑ +424%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $625.36 ↑ +462%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $631.49 ↑ +468%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $631.49 ↑ +468%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Replacement $631.49 ↑ +468%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $631.49 ↑ +468%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $631.49 ↑ +468%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $643.76 ↑ +479%
Primewest Medicaid Managed Care $673.19 ↑ +505%
Ucare Medicaid Managed Care $673.19 ↑ +505%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota State Employees $788.95 ↑ +609%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Commercial $807.88 ↑ +627%
Wellmark HMO/PPO not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Observation direct referral from physician office for admission at other South-dakota hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center Clear Lake $436.00 $279.59 – $490.50
Sanford Hospital Webster Webster $212.00 $83.21 – $238.50
Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center Chamberlain $192.00 $82.08 – $216.00
Sanford Canton Inwood Medical Center Canton $222.40 $95.08 – $250.20
Sanford Vermillion Hospital Vermillion $312.00 $115.05 – $351.00
Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center Aberdeen $182.40 $101.12 – $643.76

All South-dakota hospitals for this procedure →