Blood test, thyroid (TSH)
Facility: Stormont Vail Hospital
Billing Code: 84443 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 84443
- Insurance Median: $36
- Cash Discount Price: Unavailable
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 2.14x 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 $16.8 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 214% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 114%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare | $16 | 95% |
| Ambetter / Centene | $16 | 95% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $16 - $44 | 95% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For this thyroid blood test (CPT 84443) at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka, KS, the insurance negotiated rate is $36.00, which is significantly lower than the facility's median paid amount of $15,340.00. While the facility is an in-network location for UnitedHealthcare, Ambetter/Centene, and Blue Cross Blue Shield, patients should be aware that commercial negotiated rates often include administrative overhead and can sometimes exceed the actual cash price. In this specific case, the cash price is not listed, but patients with high-deductible plans may find that paying out-of-pocket avoids the multi-layered administrative costs embedded in the insurance rate. It is always advisable to contact the hospital directly to confirm if a "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discount is available before scheduling, as these upfront payment incentives can reduce the final cost.
The Medicare benchmark for this service is $16.80, which serves as a baseline for evaluating the facility's pricing structure. Although the data does not provide specific county or state average comparisons for this exact code, the Medicare rate highlights that the commercial negotiated rate of $36.00 represents a markup relative to the federal cost basis. If a patient receives care from an out-of-network provider or encounters unexpected ancillary services like emergency physician billing, they could face balance billing for the difference between the allowed amount and the full chargemaster rate. To protect against these surprises, patients should request a full itemized bill before paying and dispute any errors in writing, as over 80% of hospital bills contain mistakes that can be corrected through a formal audit.