Blood test, hemoglobin
Facility: St. Catherine Hospital - Garden City
Billing Code: 85018 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 85018
- Insurance Median: $12
- Cash Discount Price: $31
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 5.06x 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 $2.37 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 506% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 406%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Devoted Health | $2 | 84% |
| Kaiser | $2 - $35 | 84% |
| Medicare (plans) | $2 | 84% |
| Aetna | $2 - $24 | 84% |
| Kansas Health | $2 | 84% |
| Innovage | $2 | 84% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $2 - $12 | 84% |
| Cigna | $2 - $3 | 84% |
| Humana | $2 | 84% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $2 - $18 | 84% |
| Centura Employee Plan | $3 | 127% |
| Direct To Employer | $4 - $51 | 169% |
| United Colorado Doctor'S Plan | $4 | 169% |
| Wpaa | $20 | 844% |
| Christian Health Aid | $23 | 970% |
| Multiplan | $26 - $109 | 1097% |
| Health Partners Of Kansas | $28 | 1181% |
| Denver Health | $30 | 1266% |
| Peak Health | $50 | 2110% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the blood test, hemoglobin (CPT 85018) at St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, KS, the facility's cash median price is $31.00, which is significantly higher than the state average of $2.00. While commercial insurance plans like Kaiser, Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare have negotiated rates ranging from $2 to $51, these amounts often exceed the cash price for patients with high-deductible plans. Because commercial contracts include administrative overhead and multi-layered billing structures, paying cash upfront can sometimes result in lower out-of-pocket costs. Patients should explicitly ask the hospital about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts before scheduling, as these upfront fee reductions—typically offering 20% to 50% off—bypass costly claims processing and provide immediate liquidity incentives that insurance billing cycles do not.
When evaluating the cost against federal standards, the facility's Medicare amount of $2.37 serves as a reliable benchmark for the true cost of care, revealing that commercial negotiated rates are often marked up significantly above this baseline. Although the facility is a voluntary non-profit church-owned hospital, its gross charge of $78.00 represents the full list price before any discounts or insurance adjustments. To ensure transparency, patients should request a detailed, itemized bill rather than accepting a summary invoice, as over 80% of hospital bills contain errors such as double-billing or unbundled codes. Furthermore, under the No Surprises Act, patients are protected from balance billing for out-of-network services at in-network facilities, and any unexpected charges should be disputed in writing with the billing supervisor to avoid unnecessary debt.