Culture, bacterial
Facility: Cheyenne County Hospital
Billing Code: 87070 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 87070
- Insurance Median: $37
- Cash Discount Price: $43
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 4.29x 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 $8.62 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 429% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 329%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare | $3 - $48 | 35% |
| Aetna | $27 - $46 | 313% |
| Tricare | $27 - $35 | 313% |
| Healthy Blue Mcr Adv | $27 - $35 | 313% |
| First Health - All Plans | $27 - $34 | 313% |
| Choice Care - All Plans | $28 - $35 | 325% |
| Firstguard - All Plans | $30 - $39 | 348% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $32 | 371% |
| Wppa - All Plans | $34 - $44 | 394% |
| Cpm - All Plans | $36 - $46 | 418% |
| Preferred Hc - All Plans | $36 - $46 | 418% |
| Integrated Hp - All Plans | $37 - $48 | 429% |
| Unicare - All Plans | $37 - $48 | 429% |
| Health Partners - All Plans | $37 - $48 | 429% |
| Midlands Choice - All Plans | $37 - $47 | 429% |
| Ppo Next - All Plans | $37 - $48 | 429% |
| Childrens Mercy - All Plans | $38 - $48 | 441% |
| Healthy Blue Mcaid - All Other Plans | $38 - $48 | 441% |
| Healthwave Mcaid - All Plans | $38 - $48 | 441% |
| Providers Care-All Plans | $57 - $73 | 661% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the CPT code 87070 (Culture, bacterial) at Cheyenne County Hospital in St. Francis, KS, the cash price is $43.00, which matches the facility's cash median. This rate is significantly higher than the Medicare benchmark of $8.62, reflecting a markup common in commercial pricing where negotiated rates often average 200% to 300% of the federal baseline. While the facility is a Critical Access Hospital with a voluntary non-profit ownership structure, patients should be aware that commercial negotiated rates can sometimes exceed cash prices due to administrative overhead and contract dynamics. If you have a high-deductible plan, paying the cash price of $43.00 upfront might be more cost-effective than relying on insurance, especially since the median negotiated rate across payers is $37.00, which is still above the Medicare benchmark.
To minimize costs, we recommend asking the hospital directly about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts, which can reduce bills by 20% to 50% when paid in full within 30 days. These discounts bypass the costly insurance claims processing cycle, saving the facility administrative fees that often inflate the baseline price by 20%-40%. Additionally, while this procedure has a low range of $3 to $48 across various payers, it is crucial to verify your specific plan's allowed amount before scheduling, as in-network rates vary significantly by carrier. If you receive a bill, always request a full itemized statement to identify any errors or unbundled codes, as over 80% of hospital bills contain mistakes that can be corrected through a formal written audit dispute