Ultrasound, thyroid and neck
Facility: St. Catherine Hospital - Garden City
Billing Code: 76536 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 76536
- Insurance Median: $243
- Cash Discount Price: $538
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 2.28x 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 $106.81 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 228% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 128%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kaiser | $71 - $398 | 66% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $71 - $770 | 66% |
| Cigna | $71 - $261 | 66% |
| Kansas Health | $71 | 66% |
| Humana | $71 - $83 | 66% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $71 - $570 | 66% |
| Aetna | $71 - $1,048 | 66% |
| Medicare (plans) | $71 - $83 | 66% |
| Innovage | $83 | 78% |
| Devoted Health | $83 | 78% |
| Direct To Employer | $162 - $577 | 152% |
| Centura Employee Plan | $205 | 192% |
| Peak Health | $218 - $563 | 204% |
| United Colorado Doctor'S Plan | $245 | 229% |
| Multiplan | $250 - $1,226 | 234% |
| Denver Health | $341 | 319% |
| Wpaa | $871 | 815% |
| Christian Health Aid | $996 | 932% |
| Health Partners Of Kansas | $1,207 | 1130% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the ultrasound of the thyroid and neck at St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, Kansas, the cash price is $538, which is significantly lower than the facility's gross charge of $1,344. While commercial insurance plans like Multiplan and Aetna may negotiate rates as high as $1,226 and $1,048 respectively, paying cash upfront can often result in substantial savings, especially for patients with high-deductible plans where the insurance allowed amount might exceed the cash price. The facility offers a prompt-pay discount for those who settle their bill in full, and patients should explicitly ask for self-pay or prompt-pay rates before scheduling to avoid being billed the higher negotiated amounts.
The facility's pricing is evaluated against the Medicare benchmark of $106.81, which serves as a scientifically validated baseline for the true cost of care. Although the commercial negotiated rates vary widely across payers, ranging from $71 to $1,226, the cash median of $538 remains the most transparent figure for consumers to compare. Given that Medicare rates typically represent the lowest cost baseline, patients should verify their specific plan's allowed amount against the cash price to determine the most affordable option, ensuring they are not subject to unexpected balance billing or inflated negotiated fees.