Prices at 4 hospitals in North Dakota, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,513 — 24% below the US median ($1,982), roughly 12.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altru Hospital | Grand Forks, ND | $647 | $2,029 | ★ 3/5 | 177 min | — |
| Sanford Medical Center Fargo | Fargo, ND | $2,379 | $1,954 | ★ 4/5 | 181 min | — |
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 October 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 $1,513 — about 12.0× the Medicare rate ($126). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($252).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $2,018 list price could save about $504 (25%).
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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