Blood test, basic metabolic panel
Facility: Providence Medical Center
Billing Code: 80048 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 80048
- Insurance Median: $9
- Cash Discount Price: $8
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 1.06x 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 $8.46 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Midland Care Connection | $8 | 95% |
| Medicare (plans) | $8 | 95% |
| Tricare | $8 | 95% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $8 - $14 | 95% |
| Aetna | $8 - $15 | 95% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $8 - $20 | 95% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $8 | 95% |
| Cigna | $8 | 95% |
| Celtic | $9 - $14 | 106% |
| Kansas Superior Select | $9 | 106% |
| Healthy Blue | $9 | 106% |
| Corizon | $11 | 130% |
| Well Path Prison | $12 | 142% |
| Employer Direct Healthcare | $12 | 142% |
| Naphcare | $13 | 154% |
| Centurion | $13 | 154% |
| Comp Alliance - Fka Compresults Worker Compensation | $17 | 201% |
| Oha Networks | $18 | 213% |
| Worker Compensation | $19 | 225% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the blood test, basic metabolic panel (CPT code 80048) at Providence Medical Center in Kansas City, KS, the facility's negotiated rates range from $8 to $20 across 19 payers, with a median negotiated rate of $9.00. This facility is a voluntary non-profit acute care hospital, and its pricing structure is evaluated against federal benchmarks. The Medicare amount for this service is $8.46, which serves as the baseline for fair pricing comparisons. While commercial negotiated rates often exceed the Medicare rate due to administrative costs and contract dynamics, the facility's cash median price is listed at $8.00. For patients with high-deductible plans, paying the cash price of $8.00 upfront may be more cost-effective than relying on insurance, which could result in higher out-of-pocket costs if the negotiated rate exceeds the cash price or if the deductible has not yet been met.
Patients should proactively contact the hospital to inquire about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts, which can reduce the final bill by 20% to 50% when paid in full within a short window. These discounts bypass the administrative overhead of insurance claims processing and are often available even for in-network services. Additionally, because over 80% of hospital bills contain errors, consumers are advised to request a detailed, itemized billing audit before making any payments to ensure no duplicate charges or unbundled codes are included. While the data provided does not include specific state or county average comparisons for this code, understanding that commercial rates typically average 200% to 300% of the Medicare rate helps patients evaluate whether the facility's pricing