Prices at 4 hospitals in North Dakota, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $4,997 — 59% above the US median ($3,143), roughly 4.9× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford Medical Center Bismarck | Bismarck, ND | $3,334 | $2,929 | ★ 4/5 | 175 min | 13.9% |
| Altru Hospital | Grand Forks, ND | $6,660 | $1,368 | ★ 3/5 | 167 min | 13.9% |
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated June 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.
Price comparison (median)
Typical cash price here is $4,997 — about 4.9× the Medicare rate ($1,023). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($2,047).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $7,543 list price could save about $2,546 (34%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
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