CMS Price Transparency Data

Blood test, thyroid (TSH)

Facility: Sanford Medical Center Bismarck

Billing Code: 84443 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$19

about 1.1× the $17 Medicare rate · typically $17–$30

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$17

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $2 under the fair price · 1.0× Medicare

Medicare pays $17 Fair price $19 This hospital $17 Cash price $103 Hospital's list price $129

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other ND hospitals

Lowest price of the 7 ND hospitals we have prices for — a strong deal.

Cheapest $17 Priciest $34

Black dot = this hospital, among the 7 ND 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 Blood test, thyroid (TSH) is about $19 (about 1.1× the $17 Medicare rate). Sanford Medical Center Bismarck charges insurers about $17, or about $103 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Bismarck, 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	$17 - $150	101%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$17 - $157	101%
Aetnamajor	$17 - $156	101%
Cignamajor	$92 - $159	548%
Health Net	$92 - $162	548%
HealthPartners	$17 - $142	101%
Medica	$84 - $167	500%
Sanford Health Plan	$16 - $164	95%
Security Health Plan	$56 - $99	333%
UCare	$17 - $158	101%
+ 2 smaller / regional plans	$18 - $162

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 103), 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: 84443.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Sanford Medical Center Bismarck is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 84443.
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 Bismarck

Compare: Blood test, thyroid (TSH) at other ND hospitals

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