Blood test, urea nitrogen (BUN, kidney)
Facility: Mercy Hospital Columbus
Billing Code: 84520 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 84520
- Insurance Median: $44
- Cash Discount Price: $39
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 11.14x 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 $3.95 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 1114% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 1014%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Medicaid / KanCare | $4 - $44 | 101% |
| Humana | $4 - $57 | 101% |
| Medicare (plans) | $4 - $45 | 101% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $4 - $50 | 101% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $4 - $44 | 101% |
| Insurance System Inc Contracted [320465] | $26 | 658% |
| Health Systems Inc Contracted [320174] | $26 | 658% |
| Administrative Payor Contracted [320005] | $27 | 684% |
| Globalhealth Contracted [320145] | $44 | 1114% |
| Halo Hcr Inc Hospice Contracted [320432] | $44 | 1114% |
| Aetna | $44 - $54 | 1114% |
| Halo Hcr Inc Hospice [20432] | $44 | 1114% |
| Cigna | $44 | 1114% |
| Novasys Contracted [320285] | $44 | 1114% |
| Tricare | $44 | 1114% |
| Medical Associates Health Contracted [320444] | $44 | 1114% |
| Indian Health Service Contracted [320198] | $44 | 1114% |
| Qual Choice Contracted [320325] | $44 | 1114% |
| Elara Caring Aspire Hospice [20433] | $44 | 1114% |
| Mercy Mgd Behavioral Health Contracted [320259] | $44 | 1114% |
| Kindful Hospice [20434] | $44 | 1114% |
| Cross Timbers Hospice [20098] | $44 | 1114% |
| Pace Of The Ozarks Contracted [320518] | $44 | 1114% |
| Ambetter / Centene | $44 | 1114% |
| Provider Partners Health Plans Contracted [320450] | $44 | 1114% |
| Cherokee Nation Health Serv Contracted [320066] | $44 | 1114% |
| Mercy Hospice Okc [20252] | $44 | 1114% |
| Kindful Hospice Contracted [320434] | $44 | 1114% |
| Dept Of Veteran Affairs Contracted [320106] | $44 | 1114% |
| Centurion Of Missouri [20459] | $44 | 1114% |
| Home State Health Plan Contracted [320187] | $44 | 1114% |
| Healthscope Contracted [320182] | $46 | 1165% |
| Workers Comp [20426] | $48 - $51 | 1215% |
| United Medical Resources Contracted [320454] | $50 - $57 | 1266% |
| First Health Contracted [320128] | $54 | 1367% |
| American Healthcare Alliance Contracted [320020] | $54 | 1367% |
| Medica Contracted [320239] | $54 | 1367% |
| Preferred Health Plan Contracted [320522] | $54 | 1367% |
| Healthlink Contracted [320179] | $54 - $57 | 1367% |
| Usa Managed Care Org Contracted [320429] | $54 | 1367% |
| Federal Medical Center Contracted [320127] | $54 | 1367% |
| Mercy Benefit Admin Contracted [320251] | $54 - $57 | 1367% |
| Imagine 360 Contracted [320494] | $57 | 1443% |
| Benefit Management Contracted [320052] | $57 | 1443% |
| Point C Contracted [320238] | $57 | 1443% |
| Reflect Health Contracted [320492] | $57 | 1443% |
| 90 Degree Benefits Contracted [320436] | $57 | 1443% |
| Ppo Plus Contracted [320310] | $57 | 1443% |
| Private Health Care Systems Contracted [320320] | $57 | 1443% |
| Yuzu Health Contracted [320521] | $57 | 1443% |
| Ebms Contracted [320493] | $57 | 1443% |
| Aither Health Contracted [320449] | $57 | 1443% |
| Auxiant Contracted [320462] | $57 | 1443% |
| Show-Me Health Administrators Contracted [320483] | $57 | 1443% |
| Edison Health Solutions Contracted [320502] | $57 | 1443% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the blood test, urea nitrogen (BUN, kidney) procedure (CPT 84520), Mercy Hospital Columbus lists a gross charge of $60.00, with a cash median price of $39.00. This cash rate is significantly lower than the facility's negotiated rates, which range from $4.00 to $57.00 across 55 different payers, including major insurers like Humana, UnitedHealthcare, and Aetna. While the facility is a Critical Access Hospital in Columbus, KS, the data provided does not include specific county or state average benchmarks for this procedure to compare against. However, patients should note that the cash price of $39.00 is notably lower than the facility's median negotiated rate of $44.00, suggesting that paying out-of-pocket might be more cost-effective than relying on insurance, particularly if the patient's plan has a high deductible or if the insurer's allowed amount exceeds the cash price.
To minimize costs, patients should verify if their specific insurance plan is in-network and check for "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts before scheduling, as these can reduce the final bill. It is important to understand that commercial negotiated rates often include administrative overhead and contract structures that can make them higher than cash prices, even for in-network services. If a patient receives a bill that includes charges for services not rendered or unbundled components, they should request a full itemized audit to identify errors, as over 80% of hospital bills contain discrepancies. Additionally, under the No Surprises Act, patients are protected from balance billing for out-of-network services at in-network facilities, so any