CMS Price Transparency Data

Ultrasound, pelvis

Facility: Essentia Health Sandstone

Billing Code: 76856 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$120

about 1.1× the $107 Medicare rate · typically $89–$407

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$106

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $14 under the fair price · 1.0× Medicare

Medicare pays $107 Fair price $120 This hospital $106 Cash price $489 Hospital's list price $662

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other MN hospitals

Highest price of the 9 MN hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.

Cheapest $37 Priciest $106

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 MN hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.

⚠ The cash price looks unusually high next to the insurance price — it may be the full list price, not a real cash discount. Call to confirm the self-pay rate.

A fair price for a Ultrasound, pelvis is about $120 (about 1.1× the $107 Medicare rate). Essentia Health Sandstone charges insurers about $106, or about $489 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Sandstone, MN.

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

4 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Cigna HumanaKaiser Permanente

Crossed out = this hospital hasn’t published a negotiated price for that insurer for this procedure. It doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t accepted — ask your insurer.

Insurance company	Price range	vs. Medicare
UnitedHealthcaremajor	$311 - $603	291%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$254 - $532	238%
Aetnamajor	$563	527%
Cignamajor	$516	483%
HealthPartners	$266 - $516	249%
Medica	$263 - $542	246%
Sanford Health Plan	$284 - $299	266%
Security Health Plan	$311 - $662	291%
UCare	$311 - $436	291%
+ 12 smaller / regional plans	$106 - $510

Government programs also on file: Medicare.

Excludes 2 rental-network / third-party entries (e.g. Multiplan, PHCS) — these are pricing networks, not insurers.

Self-Pay How to get the cash price

Tell the billing desk you want to be billed as self-pay — not through insurance — before your visit.
Ask for the cash / prompt-pay discount in writing, with the exact price (about 489), before you agree to anything.
Get it in writing that they won’t also bill your insurance, so the cash price is what you owe.
Check the CPT code on your bill matches exactly: 76856.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Essentia Health Sandstone is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 76856.
Confirm the doctor or provider is in-network too — not just the hospital building.
Check your Explanation of Benefits against the hospital’s final itemized bill.

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost

A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.

How you’d pay

Deductible left to meet ($)

Your coinsurance (%)

Enter your details and press estimate to compare.

Other Procedures at Essentia Health Sandstone

Compare: Ultrasound, pelvis at other MN hospitals

Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.