Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair
Facility: St. Catherine Hospital - Garden City
Billing Code: 29881 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 29881
- Insurance Median: $535
- Cash Discount Price: Unavailable
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 0.16x 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 $3,342.87 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas Health | $483 | 14% |
| Kaiser | $483 - $535 | 14% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $483 - $4,261 | 14% |
| Aetna | $483 - $535 | 14% |
| Humana | $483 - $535 | 14% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $483 - $535 | 14% |
| Cigna | $483 - $535 | 14% |
| Medicare (plans) | $483 - $535 | 14% |
| Innovage | $535 | 16% |
| Devoted Health | $535 | 16% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For patients paying out-of-pocket, the most important factor is that the cash price for this knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair service at St. Catherine Hospital - Garden City is not listed in the available data, so you should directly contact the facility to confirm their self-pay or prompt-pay rates before scheduling. While commercial insurance plans like Kansas Health, Kaiser, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, and Medicare typically negotiate rates between $483 and $535, patients with high-deductible plans should verify if a cash price exists that could be lower than these negotiated amounts, as paying the full insurance rate without meeting a deductible can result in significantly higher out-of-pocket costs.
The facility, a voluntary non-profit church-owned acute care hospital in Garden City, KS, does not display a cash median in the current dataset, but its commercial negotiated rates align closely with the Medicare benchmark of $3,342.87, which serves as the federal cost baseline for this procedure. Although the state of Kansas and the Garden City county averages are not provided in this specific report, patients should be aware that commercial rates often include administrative markups that can exceed the Medicare amount by 200% to 300%, whereas fair pricing is generally considered to be between 120% and 150% of the Medicare rate. If you are paying out-of-network or have a plan that does not cover this service, you may face balance billing risks, though the No Surprises Act provides protections for emergency and non-emergency care at in-network facilities, making it essential to request an itemized audit and dispute any unexpected charges in writing.