Blood test, thyroid (TSH)
Facility: Kearny County Hospital
Billing Code: 84443 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 84443
- Insurance Median: $145
- Cash Discount Price: Unavailable
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 8.63x 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 $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 863% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 763%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Humana | $145 | 863% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $145 | 863% |
| Luminare Health | $145 | 863% |
| Community Care Health Plan Of | $145 | 863% |
| Wps Gha - Mac J5 Part A | $145 | 863% |
| Kansas Solutions | $145 | 863% |
| Aetna | $145 | 863% |
| Meritain Health | $145 | 863% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $145 | 863% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the blood test code 84443 (Thyroid TSH) at Kearny County Hospital in Lakin, KS, the negotiated rate is $145.00, which matches the facility's gross charge and the median negotiated amount across all nine payers. This rate is significantly higher than the Medicare benchmark of $16.80, representing an 8.6% markup relative to the federal baseline. While the facility is a Critical Access Hospital owned by the local government, the data does not provide specific cash or median paid values to compare directly against state or county averages. However, for patients with high-deductible plans, paying the cash price directly could potentially be more cost-effective if the insurance negotiated rate exceeds the cash price, though current data does not confirm a lower cash rate.
Patients should verify their specific plan details before scheduling, as commercial rates are often inflated by administrative costs and contract structures that can exceed fair pricing benchmarks. It is important to ask the hospital about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts before check-in, as these upfront payment incentives can reduce the total cost by bypassing the costly insurance billing cycle. Additionally, since the No Surprises Act prohibits balance billing for out-of-network services at in-network facilities, patients can rest assured that they will not be billed for the difference between the chargemaster and the insurance allowed amount for this service. Always request a full itemized bill to ensure accuracy and avoid unexpected charges.