CT scan, head (with and without contrast)
Facility: University Of Kansas Hospital
Billing Code: 70470 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 70470
- Insurance Median: $2,653
- Cash Discount Price: $1,094
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 14.80x 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 1480% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 1380%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lasso Healthcare [503999926] | $164 | 92% |
| Ku Athletics [503200094] | $164 | 92% |
| Tricare | $164 | 92% |
| Devoted [503200068] | $164 | 92% |
| Workers Comp [503999901] | $164 - $5,196 | 92% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $164 - $262 | 92% |
| Humana | $164 - $167 | 92% |
| Triwest [503201703] | $164 | 92% |
| Aetna | $164 - $229 | 92% |
| Medicare (plans) | $164 - $167 | 92% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $169 - $4,198 | 94% |
| Allwell [503200078] | $169 | 94% |
| American Health Plans [503200968] | $172 | 96% |
| Oscar [503201609] | $197 | 110% |
| Centurion [5032000966] | $213 | 119% |
| Wellfit [503301514] | $270 | 151% |
| Centivo [5032000982] | $270 | 151% |
| Ambetter / Centene | $278 | 155% |
| 6 Degrees Health [503999050] | $287 - $409 | 160% |
| Alt Wppa [5032000964] | $328 - $3,314 | 183% |
| Fort Hays State Student Athletes [5032000960] | $344 | 192% |
| Occunet [503999930] | $344 | 192% |
| Multiplan [503200057] | $442 | 247% |
| Claimdoc [503301509] | $442 | 247% |
| Advanced Medical Pricing Solutions [503301513] | $491 | 274% |
| Larned State Hospital [503200090] | $1,614 | 901% |
| Health Plan Inc [503999941] | $2,571 | 1435% |
| Alt Carelon Behavioral Health [503200905] | $2,735 | 1526% |
| Accarent Health [503999034] | $2,735 | 1526% |
| Allied National [503999937] | $3,282 | 1831% |
| Php [503200005] | $3,282 - $4,042 | 1831% |
| Cerner [503200038] | $3,314 | 1849% |
| Geha [503200036] | $3,314 | 1849% |
| Healthlink [503200007] | $3,314 - $4,042 | 1849% |
| Med-Pay [503200040] | $3,314 | 1849% |
| Inter-Americas Insurance [503999032] | $3,314 | 1849% |
| First Health [5032000110] | $3,605 | 2012% |
| Aha-Healthcare Preferred [503200050] | $3,605 | 2012% |
| Ascension Living Hope [503201517] | $3,829 | 2137% |
| Coeur Plan Services [503301517] | $3,829 | 2137% |
| Consolidated Billing [50311256] | $3,829 | 2137% |
| Correct Care Solutions [50311253] | $3,829 | 2137% |
| Orscheln Industries [503201608] | $4,102 | 2289% |
| Empire Plan/Nyship [503200705] | $4,198 | 2343% |
| Alt Lineco [5032000976] | $4,198 | 2343% |
| Alt Lucent Health Solutions [503202603] | $4,198 | 2343% |
| Quiktrip [5032000412] | $4,376 | 2442% |
| Century Health Solutions [503200054] | $4,376 | 2442% |
| Cigna | $4,376 | 2442% |
| Point Comfort Underwriters [503200018] | $4,376 | 2442% |
| Wppa [503200056] | $4,595 | 2564% |
| Meritain Health [503200039] | $4,595 | 2564% |
| Plan Care America [503999026] | $4,923 | 2747% |
| Sanford Health Plan [503999027] | $4,923 | 2747% |
| Employers Health Network [503999025] | $4,923 | 2747% |
| Usa Managed Care [503999030] | $4,923 | 2747% |
| Three Rivers Provider Network [503999029] | $4,923 | 2747% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For this CT scan of the head at University Of Kansas Hospital, the facility's cash price is $1,094, which is significantly lower than the median negotiated rate of $2,653 paid by insurance companies. While the gross charge listed is $5,470, patients with high-deductible plans may find paying the cash price directly more cost-effective if their insurance negotiated rate exceeds this amount. It is important to note that the facility is a government-owned acute care hospital in Kansas City, KS, and while specific county or state average data was not provided in this report, the substantial gap between the cash price and the negotiated rates highlights the potential for significant savings when paying out-of-pocket or utilizing prompt-pay discounts.
The data indicates that Medicare reimbursement for this procedure is set at $179.20, serving as a baseline for fair pricing, with commercial negotiated rates often ranging from 120% to 150% of this amount to reflect administrative costs and provider work. Although the report does not list specific state or county average benchmarks for comparison, the wide variation in allowed amounts across different payers—ranging from $164 for some plans to over $4,900 for others—underscores the importance of verifying your specific plan's allowed amount before scheduling. Patients should be aware that while the No Surprises Act protects against balance billing for out-of-network services at in-network facilities, it is still advisable to request a self-pay or prompt-pay discount upfront to avoid unexpected bills, and to always demand an itemized bill to ensure no errors or unbundled charges are included.