Blood test, ferritin (iron stores)
Facility: Lane County Hospital
Billing Code: 82728 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 82728
- Insurance Median: $101
- Cash Discount Price: $101
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 7.41x 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 $13.63 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 741% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 641%). 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 | $90 - $95 | 660% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $90 - $100 | 660% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $100 - $111 | 734% |
| Healthy Blue Mcaid | $100 | 734% |
| Healthy Blue Mcr Adv - All Other Plans | $100 | 734% |
| Wppa Providers-All Plans | $151 | 1108% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the CPT code 82728, representing a blood test for ferritin (iron stores), Lane County Hospital in Dighton, KS, lists a cash median price of $101.00 and a median negotiated rate of $101.00. This cash price is significantly lower than the facility's Medicare benchmark of $13.63, with a reported variance of 7.4% above the Medicare amount. While the facility is a Critical Access Hospital owned by a Government Hospital District, the data indicates that the negotiated rates for major payers like Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicaid/KanCare range from $90 to $151, with most plans settling at $100 or $101. Because the cash price matches the median negotiated amount, patients with high-deductible plans may find paying out-of-pocket directly at the time of service to be the most cost-effective option, avoiding potential administrative fees associated with insurance claims.
Patients should be aware that hospitals often issue summary bills that obscure individual charges, making it essential to request a full itemized CPT-coded statement before finalizing payment to ensure no unbundled codes or services not rendered are included. Although the No Surprises Act protects patients from balance billing for out-of-network services at in-network facilities, it is still advisable to verify your specific plan's allowed amount and deductible status before scheduling. Additionally, you should explicitly ask the billing department about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts, which can reduce the total cost by 20% to 50% if you settle the bill in full upfront, bypassing the costly claims processing cycle that inflates commercial rates