CMS Price Transparency Data

Blood transfusion

Facility: Kern Medical Center

Billing Code: 36430 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price low confidence

A fair price for this

$276

about 0.6× the $451 Medicare rate · typically $41–$951

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$158

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $118 under the fair price · 0.4× Medicare

Medicare pays $451 Fair price $276 This hospital $158 Cash price $1,333 Hospital's list price $1,666

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other CA hospitals

One of the lower prices — 7 of 8 other CA hospitals charge more for the same procedure.

Cheapest $87 Priciest $497

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 CA 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 transfusion is about $276 (about 0.6× the $451 Medicare rate). Kern Medical Center charges insurers about $158, or about $1,333 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Bakersfield, CA.

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

2 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Kaiser Permanente UnitedHealthcareAetnaCignaHumana

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
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$15 - $1,416	3%
Kaiser Permanentemajor	$45 - $1,500	10%
Health Net	$45 - $1,333	10%
+ 3 smaller / regional plans	$16 - $1,333

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 1,333), 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: 36430.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Kern Medical Center is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 36430.
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 Kern Medical Center

Compare: Blood transfusion at other CA hospitals

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