Culture, blood
Facility: Via Christi Hospital Wichita St Teresa, Inc
Billing Code: 87040 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 87040
- Insurance Median: $10
- Cash Discount Price: Unavailable
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 0.97x 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 $10.32 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Smarthealth | $9 - $14 | 87% |
| Via Christi Research | $10 | 97% |
| Va | $10 | 97% |
| Humana | $10 | 97% |
| Medicare (plans) | $10 - $11 | 97% |
| Vc Hope | $10 | 97% |
| Saint Lukes Health Systems | $10 | 97% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $11 | 107% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $11 - $29 | 107% |
| Corizon | $13 | 126% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $18 | 174% |
| Aetna | $32 | 310% |
| Coventry City Of Wichita | $42 | 407% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the CPT code 87040, representing a blood culture, the negotiated rates at Via Christi Hospital Wichita St Teresa, Inc. range from $9 to $42 across 13 different payers, with a median negotiated amount of $10.00. This facility is a voluntary non-profit church-owned acute care hospital located in Wichita, Kansas (ZIP 67235). While specific cash and median paid values are not reported for this service, patients should be aware that cash-pay options can sometimes result in lower out-of-pocket costs than insurance negotiated rates, particularly for those with high-deductible plans where the insurer's allowed amount exceeds the cash price. It is advisable to contact the hospital directly to inquire about self-pay or prompt-pay discounts, which can significantly reduce the final bill by bypassing administrative processing fees and insurance claim cycles.
The facility's pricing is benchmarked against the Medicare rate of $10.32, showing a ratio of 1.0, indicating that the median negotiated rate aligns closely with the federal baseline. This comparison highlights that commercial rates are not arbitrarily inflated but reflect standard market pricing relative to the government's cost basis. For consumers concerned about billing accuracy, it is important to request a full itemized bill rather than accepting a summary invoice, as over 80% of hospital bills contain errors such as unbundled codes or charges for services not rendered. If a patient receives a balance bill from an out-of-network provider at this in-network facility, they may be entitled to protections under the No Surprises Act, which prohibits balance billing for emergency and non-emergency services at in-network hospitals.