Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound)
Facility: Hamilton County Hospital
Billing Code: 93306 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 93306
- Insurance Median: $1,789
- Cash Discount Price: $1,988
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 3.20x 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 $558.25 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 320% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 220%). 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 | $721 - $1,532 | 129% |
| First Health Coventry - All Plans | $1,690 | 303% |
| Cigna | $1,889 | 338% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $1,889 | 338% |
| Va Ccn - All Plans | $1,988 | 356% |
| Aetna | $3,380 | 605% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For this Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) at Hamilton County Hospital in Syracuse, KS, the cash price is $1,988, which matches the facility's median negotiated rate. While the Medicare benchmark for this service is $558.25, commercial payers negotiate rates that vary significantly, ranging from $721 with Blue Cross Blue Shield to $3,380 with Aetna. It is important to note that the cash price of $1,988 is higher than the median negotiated rate of $1,789, meaning patients with high-deductible plans might save money by paying out-of-pocket rather than using insurance, as the insurer's allowed amount often exceeds the cash price. Additionally, this facility is a Critical Access Hospital with government-local ownership, and while the facility rating is not available, patients should verify their specific plan's allowed amount before scheduling to avoid unexpected costs.
Patients should be aware that prompt-pay discounts, which can reduce bills by 20% to 50%, are often available if paid in full upfront, but these must be requested before check-in to avoid automatic claims submission. Although the No Surprises Act protects against balance billing for emergency care and non-emergency services from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, patients should still request an itemized bill to ensure no unbundled codes or services not rendered are included. Given that over 80% of hospital bills contain errors, it is advisable to dispute any discrepancies in writing rather than accepting a summary bill. For context, while specific county or state averages for this procedure are not provided in the current data, the wide variance in payer rates highlights the importance of comparing individual allowed amounts