CT scan, head (with and without contrast)
Facility: Mercy Specialty Hospital Southeast Kansas
Billing Code: 70470 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 70470
- Insurance Median: $466
- Cash Discount Price: $2,133
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 2.60x 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 $179.2 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 260% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 160%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aetna | $99 - $170 | 55% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $99 - $251 | 55% |
| Humana | $99 - $173 | 55% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $101 - $490 | 56% |
| Provider Partners Health Plans Contracted [320450] | $105 | 59% |
| First Health Contracted [320128] | $144 | 80% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $152 - $3,036 | 85% |
| Halo Hcr Inc Hospice Contracted [320432] | $170 | 95% |
| Cigna | $170 - $1,097 | 95% |
| Pace Of The Ozarks Contracted [320518] | $170 | 95% |
| Halo Hcr Inc Hospice [20432] | $170 | 95% |
| Mercy Hospice Okc [20252] | $170 | 95% |
| Globalhealth Contracted [320145] | $170 | 95% |
| Qual Choice Contracted [320325] | $170 | 95% |
| Tricare | $170 | 95% |
| Mercy Mgd Behavioral Health Contracted [320259] | $170 | 95% |
| Kindful Hospice Contracted [320434] | $170 | 95% |
| Medicare (plans) | $170 | 95% |
| Kindful Hospice [20434] | $170 | 95% |
| Cross Timbers Hospice [20098] | $170 | 95% |
| Elara Caring Aspire Hospice [20433] | $170 | 95% |
| Cherokee Nation Health Serv Contracted [320066] | $170 | 95% |
| Medical Associates Health Contracted [320444] | $170 | 95% |
| Dept Of Veteran Affairs Contracted [320106] | $173 | 97% |
| Centivo Contracted [320505] | $173 | 97% |
| United Medical Resources Contracted [320454] | $239 - $498 | 133% |
| Providrs Care Network Contracted [320484] | $329 | 184% |
| Insurance System Inc Contracted [320465] | $498 | 278% |
| Health Systems Inc Contracted [320174] | $498 | 278% |
| Healthscope Contracted [320182] | $498 - $2,462 | 278% |
| Benefit Management Contracted [320052] | $498 | 278% |
| Point C Contracted [320238] | $498 - $2,462 | 278% |
| Medica Contracted [320239] | $734 | 410% |
| Mercy Benefit Admin Contracted [320251] | $1,066 - $2,297 | 595% |
| Show-Me Health Administrators Contracted [320483] | $1,066 | 595% |
| Aither Health Contracted [320449] | $2,297 | 1282% |
| Reflect Health Contracted [320492] | $2,297 | 1282% |
| Yuzu Health Contracted [320521] | $2,297 | 1282% |
| American Healthcare Alliance Contracted [320020] | $2,297 | 1282% |
| Ebms Contracted [320493] | $2,297 | 1282% |
| Auxiant Contracted [320462] | $2,297 - $2,462 | 1282% |
| Imagine 360 Contracted [320494] | $2,297 | 1282% |
| Edison Health Solutions Contracted [320502] | $2,297 | 1282% |
| Healthlink Contracted [320179] | $2,462 | 1374% |
| Preferred Health Plan Contracted [320522] | $2,462 | 1374% |
| Federal Medical Center Contracted [320127] | $2,462 | 1374% |
| Compcare Of The Ozarks Contracted [320437] | $2,593 | 1447% |
| Workers Comp [20426] | $2,626 | 1465% |
| Private Health Care Systems Contracted [320320] | $3,036 | 1694% |
| Multiplan [20270] | $3,118 | 1740% |
| Multiplan Contracted [320270] | $3,118 | 1740% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the CT scan of the head (with and without contrast) at Mercy Specialty Hospital Southeast Kansas, the facility's cash median price of $2,133 is significantly lower than the negotiated rates paid by most commercial insurers, which range from $99 to over $3,000 depending on the plan. While the facility's gross charge is $3,282, patients with high-deductible plans may find paying out-of-pocket cheaper if their insurance negotiated rate exceeds the cash price. It is important to note that many payers, including UnitedHealthcare and Point C Contracted, have negotiated rates that can reach as high as $2,462, meaning the cash option could save patients thousands of dollars. Additionally, the facility offers a prompt-pay discount for upfront payment, which can further reduce the final bill, and patients should explicitly ask for self-pay classification before scheduling to avoid automatic insurance submission.
This service is benchmarked against Medicare, which pays a fixed rate of $179.20 for this procedure, highlighting the substantial markup inherent in commercial billing structures. Although the data does not provide specific county or state average comparisons for this exact CPT code, the facility's cash rate of $2,133 serves as a critical reference point for consumers to evaluate potential savings. Patients should be aware that balance billing is generally prohibited for emergency care and non-emergency services at in-network facilities under the No Surprises Act, but unexpected charges can still occur if ancillary services like lab work are billed out-of-network. To protect against errors, consumers should always request a full itemized bill before paying, as summary invoices often obscure unbundled codes or services not rendered, and any disputes