Blood test, thyroid (TSH)
Facility: Mcpherson Hospital
Billing Code: 84443 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 84443
- Insurance Median: $93
- Cash Discount Price: $98
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 5.54x 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 554% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 454%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tricare | $15 | 89% |
| Wellcare Mcr Adv - All Plans | $17 | 101% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $17 - $221 | 101% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $17 | 101% |
| Healthy Blue Mcr Adv | $17 | 101% |
| Va Ccn - All Plans | $17 | 101% |
| Humana | $17 | 101% |
| Ambetter / Centene | $19 | 113% |
| Wppa - All Plans | $63 - $155 | 375% |
| Medical Associates - All Plans | $68 - $166 | 405% |
| Central Plains - All Plans | $68 - $166 | 405% |
| Christian Health Aid - All Plans | $72 - $177 | 429% |
| Aetna | $74 - $221 | 440% |
| Multiplan - All Plans | $81 - $199 | 482% |
| Health Partners - All Plans | $86 - $210 | 512% |
| First Health - All Plans | $86 - $210 | 512% |
| Cigna | $86 - $210 | 512% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $90 - $221 | 536% |
| Health Blue Mcaid - All Other Plans | $92 - $225 | 548% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For this thyroid blood test (CPT 84443) at McPherson Hospital in Mcpherson, KS, the facility's cash price of $98.00 is notably lower than the median negotiated rates paid by most insurance plans, which range from $63.00 to $225.00 depending on the carrier. While the hospital's negotiated rate of $93.00 is slightly below the facility's cash price, many commercial payers have allowed amounts exceeding $100.00, meaning patients with high-deductible plans might save money by paying the cash price directly. To maximize savings, patients should contact the hospital before scheduling to confirm "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts, which can reduce the final bill by 20% to 50% if paid in full upfront, bypassing the administrative costs associated with insurance claims processing.
When evaluating the cost against state and county benchmarks, the facility's cash rate of $98.00 is higher than the state average for this procedure but remains competitive relative to the wide variance in commercial negotiated rates. The Medicare benchmark for this service is $16.80, highlighting that commercial rates often include significant markups for administrative overhead and network access. Since the facility is an acute care hospital in a voluntary non-profit setting, patients should request an itemized bill to verify that no unbundled codes or services not rendered are included, as over 80% of hospital bills contain errors that can be corrected through a formal written audit dispute.