Urinalysis (automated, with microscopy)
Facility: St. Catherine Hospital - Garden City
Billing Code: 81001 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 81001
- Insurance Median: $12
- Cash Discount Price: $49
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 3.79x 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 $3.17 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 379% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 279%). 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 | $3 - $36 | 95% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $3 - $26 | 95% |
| Kansas Health | $3 | 95% |
| Innovage | $3 | 95% |
| Medicare (plans) | $3 | 95% |
| Humana | $3 | 95% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $3 - $12 | 95% |
| Kaiser | $3 - $55 | 95% |
| Cigna | $3 - $4 | 95% |
| Devoted Health | $3 | 95% |
| Centura Employee Plan | $4 | 126% |
| United Colorado Doctor'S Plan | $5 | 158% |
| Direct To Employer | $6 - $80 | 189% |
| Wpaa | $30 | 946% |
| Christian Health Aid | $34 | 1073% |
| Multiplan | $38 - $171 | 1199% |
| Health Partners Of Kansas | $41 | 1293% |
| Denver Health | $47 | 1483% |
| Peak Health | $78 | 2461% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the CPT code 81001, Urinalysis (automated, with microscopy), St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, KS, lists a gross charge of $122.00. This amount is significantly higher than the facility's cash median of $49.00 and the median negotiated rate of $12.00. While the facility is a voluntary non-profit church-owned acute care hospital, patients should be aware that insurance negotiated rates often exceed cash prices due to administrative overhead and contract structures. In this case, the cash price of $49.00 is notably lower than the facility's cash median, suggesting that paying out-of-pocket might be more cost-effective for patients with high-deductible plans or those without insurance, provided they qualify for self-pay or prompt-pay discounts.
To avoid unexpected costs, consumers should request an itemized billing audit before finalizing payment, as over 80% of hospital bills contain errors such as unbundled codes or services not rendered. Although the No Surprises Act protects patients from balance billing for emergency care and non-emergency services from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, it is crucial to verify network status and avoid signing away rights via consent waivers for out-of-network ancillary services. For pricing context, this specific service is priced at 3.8 times the Medicare benchmark of $3.17, which serves as the objective baseline for evaluating hospital markups. Patients are encouraged to contact the hospital directly to confirm self-pay rates and potential prompt-pay discounts before scheduling, ensuring they understand the true cost of care rather than relying on inflated chargemaster lists.