Blood test, thyroid (TSH)
Facility: Ashland Health Center
Billing Code: 84443 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 84443
- Insurance Median: $62
- Cash Discount Price: $50
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 3.69x 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 $16.8 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 369% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 269%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $21 | 125% |
| Compalliance-All Plans | $50 | 298% |
| Health Partners Of Kansas-All Plans | $53 | 315% |
| Multiplan-All Plans | $61 | 363% |
| Aetna | $62 | 369% |
| Medicare (plans) | $62 | 369% |
| Health Choice-All Plans | $62 | 369% |
| Healthy Blue Mcr Adv - All Other Plans | $62 | 369% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $62 | 369% |
| Medica Mcare - All Plans | $62 | 369% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $62 | 369% |
| Providers Care (Wppa)-All Plans | $93 | 554% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the CPT code 84443 (Blood test, thyroid), Ashland Health Center in Ashland, KS, has a negotiated rate of $62.00 across 12 payers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare. This facility is a Critical Access Hospital with a cash price of $50.00, which is lower than the median negotiated rate of $62.00. While the facility's cash price is $15.20 lower than the Medicare benchmark of $16.80, patients with high-deductible plans may find paying the cash price of $50.00 more cost-effective than using insurance, as the negotiated rate often exceeds the cash price. It is important to note that cash-pay rates can sometimes be cheaper for patients who have not yet met their deductible or are facing high out-of-pocket maximums.
Patients should verify if the facility offers prompt-pay discounts, which can reduce the bill by 20% to 50% if paid upfront, bypassing the administrative costs associated with insurance claims processing. Although the data does not provide a specific discount percentage, asking the billing department for self-pay or prompt-pay rates before scheduling is a critical step to avoid balance billing or unexpected charges. Given that the facility is a Critical Access Hospital in a rural area (Zip 67831), comparing the $62.00 negotiated rate to the state or county average is essential to ensure transparency, as commercial rates can sometimes be inflated compared to the Medicare benchmark of $16.80. Always request an itemized bill to confirm that no unbundled codes or services not rendered