CT scan, chest (no contrast)
Facility: Mercy Hospital Columbus
Billing Code: 71250 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 71250
- Insurance Median: $1,776
- Cash Discount Price: $1,590
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 16.63x 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 $106.81 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 1663% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 1563%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Centivo Contracted [320505] | $25 | 23% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $71 - $1,776 | 66% |
| Humana | $71 - $2,324 | 66% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $91 - $2,030 | 85% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $91 - $1,776 | 85% |
| Medicare (plans) | $100 - $1,847 | 94% |
| Insurance System Inc Contracted [320465] | $1,052 | 985% |
| Health Systems Inc Contracted [320174] | $1,052 | 985% |
| Administrative Payor Contracted [320005] | $1,101 | 1031% |
| Kindful Hospice Contracted [320434] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Centurion Of Missouri [20459] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Qual Choice Contracted [320325] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Mercy Hospice Okc [20252] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Indian Health Service Contracted [320198] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Provider Partners Health Plans Contracted [320450] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Globalhealth Contracted [320145] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Halo Hcr Inc Hospice Contracted [320432] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Home State Health Plan Contracted [320187] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Mercy Mgd Behavioral Health Contracted [320259] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Halo Hcr Inc Hospice [20432] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Ambetter / Centene | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Cross Timbers Hospice [20098] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Cherokee Nation Health Serv Contracted [320066] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Pace Of The Ozarks Contracted [320518] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Cigna | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Novasys Contracted [320285] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Medical Associates Health Contracted [320444] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Dept Of Veteran Affairs Contracted [320106] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Kindful Hospice [20434] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Elara Caring Aspire Hospice [20433] | $1,776 | 1663% |
| Aetna | $1,776 - $2,201 | 1663% |
| Tricare | $1,781 | 1667% |
| Healthscope Contracted [320182] | $1,886 | 1766% |
| Workers Comp [20426] | $1,957 - $2,079 | 1832% |
| United Medical Resources Contracted [320454] | $2,030 - $2,324 | 1901% |
| Medica Contracted [320239] | $2,192 | 2052% |
| American Healthcare Alliance Contracted [320020] | $2,201 | 2061% |
| Healthlink Contracted [320179] | $2,201 - $2,324 | 2061% |
| Federal Medical Center Contracted [320127] | $2,201 | 2061% |
| Usa Managed Care Org Contracted [320429] | $2,201 | 2061% |
| First Health Contracted [320128] | $2,201 | 2061% |
| Preferred Health Plan Contracted [320522] | $2,201 | 2061% |
| Mercy Benefit Admin Contracted [320251] | $2,201 - $2,324 | 2061% |
| Private Health Care Systems Contracted [320320] | $2,324 | 2176% |
| Reflect Health Contracted [320492] | $2,324 | 2176% |
| Yuzu Health Contracted [320521] | $2,324 | 2176% |
| 90 Degree Benefits Contracted [320436] | $2,324 | 2176% |
| Ppo Plus Contracted [320310] | $2,324 | 2176% |
| Edison Health Solutions Contracted [320502] | $2,324 | 2176% |
| Point C Contracted [320238] | $2,324 | 2176% |
| Aither Health Contracted [320449] | $2,324 | 2176% |
| Auxiant Contracted [320462] | $2,324 | 2176% |
| Benefit Management Contracted [320052] | $2,324 | 2176% |
| Ebms Contracted [320493] | $2,324 | 2176% |
| Show-Me Health Administrators Contracted [320483] | $2,324 | 2176% |
| Imagine 360 Contracted [320494] | $2,324 | 2176% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the CT scan, chest (no contrast) procedure at Mercy Hospital Columbus, the facility's cash price of $1,590 is lower than the median negotiated rate of $1,776 paid by most insurance plans, including Medicaid, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare. While the facility's gross charge is $2,446, patients with high-deductible plans may find paying the cash price directly more affordable than facing a negotiated rate that exceeds their out-of-pocket maximum. It is important to note that many commercial payers listed, such as Aetna and United Medical Resources, have negotiated rates ranging from $1,886 to $2,324, which are significantly higher than the cash option. Patients should explicitly ask the billing department about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts before scheduling, as these upfront fee reductions can further lower the total cost compared to standard insurance processing.
The facility's cash price of $1,590 is also notably lower than the Medicare benchmark of $1,06.81 for this specific CPT code, indicating a substantial markup relative to the federal government's cost-based reimbursement rate. This disparity highlights the importance of using Medicare rates as a baseline for evaluating commercial pricing rather than comparing against the inflated chargemaster list price. Although the data does not provide specific county or state average comparisons for this code, the presence of multiple payers with wide rate variances—ranging from $25 for Centivo Contracted to $2,324 for several private plans—suggests significant pricing differences based on network status and contract terms. Consumers should be aware that balance billing is generally prohibited for emergency services at in-network