X-ray, chest (two views)
Facility: Saint Luke'S South Hospital
Billing Code: 71046 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 71046
- Insurance Median: $296
- Cash Discount Price: $564
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 3.33x 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 $88.91 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 333% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 233%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Humana | $24 - $40 | 27% |
| Aetna | $24 - $893 | 27% |
| Transplants-Case Rates [5750] | $33 - $940 | 37% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $37 - $706 | 42% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $49 - $113 | 55% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $58 - $296 | 65% |
| Cigna | $71 - $713 | 80% |
| Commercial-Contracted [8000] | $251 - $760 | 282% |
| First Health [5512] | $557 | 626% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the CPT code 71046, representing a chest X-ray (two views) at Saint Luke's South Hospital in Overland Park, KS, the facility's cash median price is $564.00, while the median negotiated rate across insurance plans is $296.00. This service is priced at 3.3 times the Medicare benchmark of $88.91. While the cash price is significantly higher than the negotiated rate, patients with high-deductible plans may find paying cash directly cheaper if their insurance allowed amount exceeds the cash price, though this scenario is less common given the data. It is important to note that commercial negotiated rates often include administrative overhead and can be inflated compared to the true cost of care represented by Medicare benchmarks, which serve as a scientifically validated baseline for pricing.
Patients should be aware that while the No Surprises Act protects against balance billing for out-of-network services at in-network facilities, unexpected charges can still occur from ancillary services or if a patient inadvertently accepts a summary bill that obscures individual line items. To minimize costs, consumers should request a full itemized CPT-coded bill before paying and verify their deductible status to understand their out-of-pocket responsibility. Additionally, patients should explicitly ask the hospital about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts, which can reduce the bill by 20% to 50% if paid upfront, bypassing the costly claims processing cycle that insurance billing entails.