CT scan, head (with and without contrast)
Facility: University Of Kansas Health System - St Francis Campus
Billing Code: 70470 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 70470
- Insurance Median: $940
- Cash Discount Price: $688
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 5.25x Medicare
Average discount available for prompt cash payment at this facility.
Median negotiated contract rate across all mapped commercial carriers.
Standard federal government reimbursement rate for this code.
Visual Cost Comparison vs. Medicare
Understanding this gauge: We use the federal Medicare rate of $179.2 as the cost baseline. Rates below the baseline represent excellent value. In-network commercial rates commonly hover around 150% - 250% of Medicare, while rates exceeding 300% are elevated. Hover over the green and blue markers to view detailed calculations.
Elevated Commercial Rate Alert (Value-Gap)
The negotiated rate at this facility is 525% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 425%). Patients with high-deductible plans or out-of-network benefits may face excessive out-of-pocket costs.
Out-of-Pocket Cost Estimator
Estimate whether it is more economical to use your insurance or pay the upfront self-pay cash rate.
Commercial Insurance Negotiated Rates
Negotiated contract ranges established by major commercial carriers at this facility.
| Carrier / Plan Group | Contract Rate Range | vs. Medicare Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Aetna | $940 | 525% |
| Black Lung [6055] | $940 | 525% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $940 | 525% |
| Healthcare Highways [2210] | $940 | 525% |
| Hooray Health [8000] | $940 | 525% |
| Web Tpa [2115] | $940 | 525% |
| Lucent Health [6000] | $940 | 525% |
| Oncology Patient Assistance Programs [2295] | $940 | 525% |
| Department Of Corrections [1340] | $1,146 | 640% |
| American Postal Workers Union [1070] | $1,325 | 739% |
| National Association Of Letter Carriers [1695] | $1,325 | 739% |
| Cigna | $1,325 | 739% |
| Healthpartners [1500] | $1,325 | 739% |
| Humana | $1,353 | 755% |
| American Healthcare [1055] | $1,781 | 994% |
| Multiplan [1680] | $1,781 | 994% |
| First Health [1375] | $1,781 | 994% |
| Administrative Concepts [1005] | $1,781 | 994% |
| Coventry Healthcare [1320] | $1,880 | 1049% |
| Ks Disability Determination [6090] | $2,292 | 1279% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the CPT code 70470, representing a CT scan of the head with and without contrast, the University of Kansas Health System - St Francis Campus in Topeka, KS, lists a gross charge of $2,292.00. This amount is significantly higher than the facility's cash median of $688.00 and the median negotiated rate of $940.00 paid by various payers. While the facility is a voluntary non-profit church-owned acute care hospital, the gross charge is 5.2 times the Medicare benchmark of $179.20. It is important to note that commercial negotiated rates often exceed cash prices due to administrative overhead and contract structures; therefore, patients with high-deductible plans may find paying the cash price of $688.00 upfront more cost-effective than relying on insurance, provided they can secure a prompt-pay discount.
Consumers should be aware that hospitals often issue summary bills that obscure individual line items, making it difficult to identify errors or unbundled charges. To protect against overcharging, patients should request a full itemized CPT-coded bill before finalizing payment, as over 80% of hospital bills contain errors that can be corrected through a formal written audit dispute. Additionally, while the No Surprises Act protects patients from balance billing for out-of-network services at in-network facilities, patients must still verify their deductible status and avoid signing away rights to dispute surprise bills. For this specific procedure, the facility's location in Topeka, KS (zip 66606), and its facility rating of 3, are noted for transparency purposes, but the primary focus should remain on