CMS Price Transparency Data

CT scan, head (with and without contrast)

Facility: Sterling Regional Medcenter

Billing Code: 70470 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$233

about 1.3× the $179 Medicare rate · typically $167–$502

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$193

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $40 under the fair price · 1.1× Medicare

Medicare pays $179 Fair price $233 This hospital $193 Cash price $607 Hospital's list price $2,249

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other CO hospitals

Highest price of the 9 CO hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.

Cheapest $59 Priciest $193

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 CO 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 CT scan, head (with and without contrast) is about $233 (about 1.3× the $179 Medicare rate). Sterling Regional Medcenter charges insurers about $193, or about $607 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Sterling, CO.

What each insurance company pays

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

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

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Humana CignaKaiser Permanente

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
UnitedHealthcaremajor	$179 - $2,132	100%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$697 - $1,740	389%
Aetnamajor	$627 - $2,092	350%
Humanamajor	$190	106%
Banner Health	$697	389%
Cigna HealthSpring	$697	389%
Devoted Health	$197	110%
Health Net	$2,024	1129%
Medica	$697 - $1,873	389%
+ 8 smaller / regional plans	$179 - $2,137

Government programs also on file: Medicare.

Excludes 2 rental-network / third-party entries (e.g. Multiplan, PHCS) — these are pricing networks, not insurers.

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 607), 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: 70470.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Sterling Regional Medcenter is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 70470.
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 Sterling Regional Medcenter

Compare: CT scan, head (with and without contrast) at other CO hospitals

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