Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair
Facility: Kansas City Orthopaedic Institute
Billing Code: 29881 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 29881
- Insurance Median: $4,432
- Cash Discount Price: Unavailable
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 1.33x 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 $3,342.87 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aetna | $2,873 | 86% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $2,873 - $3,275 | 86% |
| Cigna | $3,000 - $3,052 | 90% |
| Medica | $3,210 | 96% |
| Self Pay | $4,432 | 133% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $5,455 - $11,304 | 163% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For a knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair at the Kansas City Orthopaedic Institute in Leawood, KS, the facility's negotiated rates for in-network payers range from $2,873 to $5,455, with Blue Cross Blue Shield plans seeing a wide variance between $5,455 and $11,304. While the facility is owned by physicians and located in an acute care hospital setting, the data does not provide specific state or county average comparisons to contextualize these figures. It is important to note that cash-pay rates are not listed for this service; however, patients with high-deductible plans should be aware that paying out-of-pocket can sometimes be more cost-effective if the insurance negotiated rate exceeds the cash price, though this specific cash price is unavailable for this code.
Patients should be cautious regarding balance billing, as out-of-network providers can bill the full chargemaster rate of $16,289, which is significantly higher than the Medicare benchmark of $3,342.87. Although the No Surprises Act protects patients from balance billing for emergency care and non-emergency services from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, unexpected ancillary services or errors in billing can still lead to surprise charges. To avoid these pitfalls, consumers should request a full itemized bill before paying and dispute any errors in writing rather than accepting summary invoices. Additionally, since the facility offers a "Self Pay" option at $4,432, patients are encouraged to ask about prompt-pay discounts upfront to secure immediate liquidity benefits and avoid the administrative costs associated with insurance claims processing.