X-ray, chest (two views)
Facility: Kansas City Orthopaedic Institute
Billing Code: 71046 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 71046
- Insurance Median: $75
- Cash Discount Price: Unavailable
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 0.84x 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $26 - $395 | 29% |
| Cigna | $54 - $308 | 61% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $81 - $191 | 91% |
| Aetna | $81 | 91% |
| Medica | $201 | 226% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the X-ray, chest (two views) procedure at Kansas City Orthopaedic Institute in Leawood, KS, the facility's negotiated rates range from $54 to $395 across five major payers, with a median negotiated payment of $75.00. This facility is owned by physicians and operates as an acute care hospital. While the data does not provide a specific cash or median paid amount for this service, patients with high-deductible plans may find that paying cash directly is more cost-effective if the insurance negotiated rate exceeds the cash price. It is important to note that commercial negotiated rates often include administrative overhead and can be significantly higher than the true cost of care; for context, fair pricing is typically defined as 120% to 150% of the Medicare rate, which stands at $88.91 for this code.
Patients should be aware of the risks associated with balance billing, where out-of-network providers may bill the full chargemaster rate rather than the insurance allowed amount, potentially leading to unexpected costs. 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, it is crucial to verify network status before scheduling. Additionally, since over 80% of hospital bills contain errors, patients should request a full itemized CPT-coded bill rather than accepting a summary invoice. To minimize costs, patients are encouraged to ask the hospital directly about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts, which can offer a fee reduction of 20% to 50% for upfront payment, bypassing the costly claims processing cycle.