CMS Price Transparency Data

Blood transfusion

Facility: Sanford Medical Center Fargo

Billing Code: 36430 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$470

about 1.0× the $451 Medicare rate · typically $352–$555

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$450

About the fair price

about $20 under the fair price · 1.0× Medicare

Medicare pays $451 Fair price $470 This hospital $450 Cash price $962 Hospital's list price $1,203

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other ND hospitals

One of the lower prices — 6 of 8 other ND hospitals charge more for the same procedure.

Cheapest $437 Priciest $659

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

A fair price for a Blood transfusion is about $470 (about 1.0× the $451 Medicare rate). Sanford Medical Center Fargo charges insurers about $450, or about $962 in cash — about the fair price. Located in Fargo, ND.

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	$450 - $1,048	100%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$316 - $767	70%
Aetnamajor	$450 - $1,029	100%
Cignamajor	$1,083	240%
Health Net	$1,083	240%
HealthPartners	$450 - $493	100%
Medica	$541 - $579	120%
Sanford Health Plan	$42 - $415	9%
Security Health Plan	$662	147%
UCare	$446 - $846	99%
+ 2 smaller / regional plans	$455 - $1,083

Government programs also on file: Medicare.

Excludes 1 rental-network / third-party entry (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 962), 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: 36430.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Sanford Medical Center Fargo is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 36430.
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 Sanford Medical Center Fargo

Compare: Blood transfusion at other ND hospitals

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