Essentia Health St Joseph'S Medical Center billing

523 North 3rd Street, Brainerd, Minnesota 56401

  • Voluntary non-profit - Private
  • Acute Care Hospitals
  • CMS rating 3 of 5

1. Call billing

Have your account number ready. Ask for an itemized bill and ask whether you can apply for financial assistance.

Main hospital line
(218) 829-2861
Ask for patient billing or patient financial services.
Call (218) 829-2861

2. See if you qualify for free or discounted care

As a nonprofit hospital, Essentia Health St Joseph'S Medical Center must have a written financial assistance policy under IRS rule 501(r). You can usually apply up to 240 days after your first bill, even if it went to collections.

Start an application cover letter

3. Send it in writing

A written request creates a record. Fill in your details, then print, email or mail it to Essentia Health St Joseph'S Medical Center billing.

  • Request an itemized bill
    Every charge, with its billing code. Start here.
    Get letter
  • Apply for financial assistance
    Cover letter for the hospital's application, with a request to pause collections.
    Create letter
  • Dispute a charge
    For duplicate lines, services you didn't get, or prices you want explained.
    Start dispute

Have your itemized bill?

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Essentia Health St Joseph'S Medical Center in Brainerd, Minnesota receives a BillKarma billing grade of F based on an average markup of 9.2x Medicare rates across 7 procedures in their published price transparency file. This places it in the top 25 most expensive hospitals in Minnesota by markup ratio. The highest individual markups are for Egd biopsy single/multiple (17.7x Medicare) and Diagnostic colonoscopy (13.9x Medicare). Patients with scheduled procedures at this hospital should review costs and compare nearby alternatives before confirming — charges at D and F grade hospitals are significantly above the national average.

Common procedure prices

Last updated: 2026-10-21

Code Description Hospital charge Cash price Medicare pays Markup
43239 Egd biopsy single/multiple $2188.80 $1539.07 $123.58 17.7×
45378 Diagnostic colonoscopy $2295.20 $1613.89 $164.67 13.9×
45385 Colonoscopy w/lesion removal $2719.85 $1912.48 $223.45 12.2×
20610 Joint Injection (drainage) $358.15 $251.84 $39.75 9.0×
59000 Amniocentesis diagnostic $302.10 $212.42 $72.81 4.1×
11042 Wound Debridement $216.60 $152.30 $55.78 3.9×
10060 Abscess Drainage $328.70 $231.13 $100.54 3.3×

Highlighted: charged at 5× or more what Medicare pays for the same code.

How to dispute a bill from Essentia Health St Joseph'S Medical Center

Last updated: 2026-10-21

ESSENTIA HEALTH ST JOSEPH'S MEDICAL CENTER currently shows a billing grade of F with an average markup around 9.2x versus Medicare reference rates. In currently loaded benchmark samples, this is above the national average (8.0x). Use that benchmark when asking billing to review line items and justify large gaps. This hospital appears to be nonprofit. Ask for the formal financial assistance application, income thresholds, and deadline rules before making payment commitments. Reported charity-care level is not reported. Before paying, scan your bill with BillKarma to identify line-item issues and generate a dispute packet.

Location

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Map shows Essentia Health St Joseph'S Medical Center at 523 NORTH 3RD STREET, Brainerd, Minnesota, 56401. Nearby hospitals within 50 miles include Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Avera Granite Falls, Avera Marshall Regional Medical Ctr.

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