Commercial healthcare reimbursement in Minnesota
How Minnesota compares with the nation, by payer, specialty and procedure.
Minnesota at a glance
What the data shows
Minnesota ranks 10th of 51 states for commercial reimbursement, with an index of 126 (100 = national median) across 228 procedure codes; the Midwest region averages 115.
Commercial rates in Minnesota run a median 167% of Medicare.
UnitedHealthcare has the highest index in the state (141) and Aetna the lowest (55), a 86-point gap, in the files analyzed.
CPT 88313 (Special stains group 2) is the strongest relative to the national median (203% of it, a 103% premium); CPT 22551 (Arthrd ant ntrbdy cervical) is furthest below (75% of the national median, 25% lower).
By specialty, Minnesota is strongest for cardiology (ranks 3rd of 51 states for that specialty) and weakest for diagnostic radiology (37th of 51).
Against Medicare, gastroenterology has the highest ratio in Minnesota (251% of Medicare) and diagnostic radiology the lowest (143%).
Payer ranking in Minnesota
| Payer | Index | Rank | Level | Codes | Providers | TINs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare | 141 | 1 | 228 | 618 | 440 | |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | 133 | 2 | 228 | 671 | 645 | |
| Cigna | 102 | 3 | 81 | 169 | 308 | |
| Aetna | 55 | 4 | 228 | 774 | 476 |
Reimbursement index by specialty in Minnesota
| Specialty | Index | Rank among states | % of Medicare | Level | Codes | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiology | 141 | 3 of 51 | 192% | 38 | 102 | |
| Internal medicine | 156 | 4 of 51 | 180% | 25 | 112 | |
| Gastroenterology | 141 | 5 of 50 | 251% | 36 | 91 | |
| Dermatology | 149 | 7 of 50 | 143% | 44 | 116 | |
| Urology | 119 | 9 of 50 | 200% | 37 | 112 | |
| Ophthalmology | 129 | 10 of 50 | 153% | 42 | 95 | |
| Orthopedic surgery | 120 | 13 of 51 | 165% | 39 | 102 | |
| Diagnostic radiology | 93 | 37 of 51 | 143% | 49 | 123 |
Specialty by payer in Minnesota
| Specialty | UHC | Aetna | Cigna | BCBS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internal medicine | 255 | 63 | n/a | 181 |
| Dermatology | 198 | 69 | n/a | 225 |
| Ophthalmology | 175 | 81 | n/a | 193 |
| Cardiology | 227 | 66 | n/a | 177 |
| Orthopedic surgery | 191 | 61 | n/a | 160 |
| Diagnostic radiology | 106 | 73 | 99 | 102 |
| Urology | 210 | 59 | 112 | 160 |
| Gastroenterology | 259 | 56 | n/a | 171 |
Minnesota compared with Midwest region states
| State | Index | Rank | % of Medicare | Providers | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 126 | 10 | 167% | 853 | |
| North Dakota | 127 | 9 | 197% | 369 | |
| Iowa | 128 | 8 | 195% | 716 | |
| South Dakota | 135 | 6 | 202% | 474 | |
| Nebraska | 138 | 4 | 198% | 601 | |
| Ohio | 99 | 27 | 156% | 937 |
Procedures that pay most and least in Minnesota vs the nation
Highest vs national
| Code | Minnesota | National | Gap | Prov. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88313 Special stains group 2 | $143 | $71 | +103% | 91 |
| 99487 Cplx chrnc care 1st 60 min | $206 | $121 | +69% | 112 |
| 99495 Transj care mgmt mod f2f 14d | $351 | $211 | +66% | 112 |
| 99490 Chrnc care mgmt staff 1st 20 | $99 | $60 | +65% | 412 |
| 99496 Transj care mgmt high f2f 7d | $475 | $291 | +63% | 112 |
| 11301 Shave skin lesion 0.6-1.0 cm | $137 | $85 | +62% | 116 |
| 11302 Shave skin lesion 1.1-2.0 cm | $157 | $98 | +60% | 116 |
| 11104 Punch bx skin single lesion | $129 | $81 | +60% | 116 |
| 11102 Tangntl bx skin single les | $103 | $65 | +59% | 116 |
| 17282 Dstr mal ls f/e/e/n/l/m1.1-2 | $309 | $195 | +58% | 115 |
| 17313 Mohs 1 stage t/a/l | $814 | $515 | +58% | 116 |
| 93298 Rem interrog dev eval scrms | $83 | $52 | +58% | 100 |
| 99497 Advncd care plan 30 min | $170 | $108 | +57% | 112 |
| 90960 Esrd srv 4 visits p mo 20+ | $707 | $453 | +56% | 112 |
| 99202 Office o/p new sf 15 min | $108 | $70 | +56% | 116 |
Lowest vs national
| Code | Minnesota | National | Gap | Prov. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22551 Arthrd ant ntrbdy cervical | $2,091 | $2,778 | -25% | 98 |
| 22633 Arthrd cmbn 1ntrspc lumbar | $2,281 | $2,991 | -24% | 98 |
| 22612 Arthrd pst tq 1ntrspc lumbar | $1,967 | $2,557 | -23% | 98 |
| 22558 Arthrd ant ntrbd min dsc lum | $1,909 | $2,471 | -23% | 98 |
| 27487 Revise/replace knee joint | $2,218 | $2,840 | -22% | 98 |
| 27447 Total knee arthroplasty | $1,711 | $2,190 | -22% | 98 |
| 27130 Total hip arthroplasty | $1,712 | $2,158 | -21% | 98 |
| 23472 Reconstruct shoulder joint | $1,840 | $2,318 | -21% | 98 |
| 93010 Electrocardiogram report | $10 | $13 | -17% | 99 |
| 93016 Cv stress test supvj only | $29 | $34 | -15% | 99 |
| 70551 Mri brain stem w/o dye | $343 | $402 | -15% | 123 |
| 72141 Mri neck spine w/o dye | $334 | $390 | -14% | 123 |
| 93294 Rem interrog evl pm/ldls pm | $42 | $48 | -12% | 99 |
| 72158 Mri lumbar spine w/o & w/dye | $525 | $593 | -11% | 123 |
| 77049 Mri breast c-+ w/cad bi | $496 | $558 | -11% | 123 |
Frequently asked questions
How do commercial reimbursement rates in Minnesota compare with the rest of the country?
Minnesota ranks 10th of 51 states with an index of 126, across 228 procedure codes. Median commercial rates run 167% of the Medicare rate.
Which payer has the highest rates in Minnesota?
In the files we analyzed, UnitedHealthcare has the highest index (141) and Aetna the lowest (55). Each payer's figures describe the specific plans and networks in the files used, not its whole book of business.
Which specialty has the strongest rates in Minnesota?
Cardiology ranks 3rd of 51 states.
How many providers does this Minnesota page cover?
853 sampled providers across 4 payers. The data comes from a random sample of providers, so counts describe the sample, not every provider in the state.
Which procedures differ most between Minnesota and the national median?
CPT 88313 (Special stains group 2) is highest relative to the nation at 203% of the national median; CPT 22551 (Arthrd ant ntrbdy cervical) is lowest at 75%.
Methodology
- Source: in-network negotiated-rate files published under the federal Transparency in Coverage rule, August 2026 snapshot: UnitedHealthcare Choice plans (74 files); Aetna commercial plans (70 files); Cigna national PPO (1 files); BCBS licensees' own-network files (5,387 files). Payer comparisons describe these files, not each payer's entire book of business.
- Sample: rates come from a random sample of up to 150 providers per state and specialty. Counts on this page are sampled providers and TINs, not totals.
- Which providers count: only providers in a specialty relevant to the code, because a rate in a payer file attaches to a provider group and is listed under every provider in that group.
- Filters: fee-for-service, professional billing class, no modifier, negotiated or fee-schedule dollar rates. Rates outside 1% to 1,000% of the Medicare rate are excluded.
- Statistic: one median rate per provider, then percentiles across providers. A cell is shown only with at least 15 sampled providers and 4 TINs.
- Medicare benchmark: CY2026 national physician fee schedule, non-QPP conversion factor, unadjusted for locality. Where the non-facility rate is more than twice the facility rate (office rates that include device or supply cost), the facility rate is used so comparisons are like for like.
Benchmark your Minnesota contracts
Compare your negotiated rates with these state medians by payer and specialty.