CT scan, head (with and without contrast)
Facility: Satanta District Hospital, Clinics, & Ltcu
Billing Code: 70470 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 70470
- Insurance Median: $859
- Cash Discount Price: $1,074
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 4.79x 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 $179.2 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 479% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 379%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Benefit-All Plans | $286 | 160% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $346 - $1,193 | 193% |
| Berkley Net-All Plans | $477 | 266% |
| Aetna | $525 - $811 | 293% |
| Trustmark Health Benefits-All Plans | $525 | 293% |
| Meritain Health-All Plans | $537 | 300% |
| Ambetter / Centene | $573 | 320% |
| Axa Equitable - All Plans | $656 | 366% |
| Pinnacol-All Plans | $668 | 373% |
| Medi-Share-All Plans | $680 | 379% |
| Presbyterian-All Plans | $728 | 406% |
| Kasb Work Comp - All Plans | $764 | 426% |
| The Kempton Group Admin-All Plans | $823 | 459% |
| Gpha(Wppa)-All Other Plans | $835 | 466% |
| Auxiant - All Plans | $835 | 466% |
| Wppa- All Plans | $847 | 473% |
| Sisco-All Plans | $859 | 479% |
| Emc-All Plans | $859 | 479% |
| Providers Care Network- All Plans | $859 | 479% |
| Gpha Employee Benefit Plan | $871 | 486% |
| Employee Benefit-All Plans | $895 | 499% |
| Regional Care(Wppa)-All Plans | $895 | 499% |
| First Health -All Plans | $907 | 506% |
| Triangle-All Plans | $907 | 506% |
| One Call Physician-All Plans | $919 | 513% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $942 | 526% |
| Tricare | $954 | 532% |
| Christian Hospital Aid - All Plans | $954 | 532% |
| Humana | $1,026 | 573% |
| Luminare Health- All Plans | $1,050 | 586% |
| Cigna | $1,050 | 586% |
| Deseret Mutual(Uhis)-All Plans | $1,074 | 599% |
| Coresource-All Plans | $1,074 | 599% |
| Vaccn-All Plans | $1,098 | 613% |
| Reserve National-All Plans | $1,133 | 632% |
| Hma Llc-All Plans | $1,133 | 632% |
| Wps Vapc-All Plans | $1,133 | 632% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $1,193 | 666% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the CPT code 70470, representing a CT scan of the head with and without contrast, the facility's cash median price is $1,074.00, which is notably lower than the gross charge of $1,193.00. While the facility is a Critical Access Hospital in Satanta, KS, with a government ownership structure, the negotiated rates vary significantly across payers, ranging from a low of $286 with Direct Benefit-All Plans to the gross amount of $1,193 with Medicaid/KanCare. It is important to note that for patients with high-deductible plans, paying the cash price of $1,074.00 upfront may be more cost-effective than relying on insurance, as many commercial negotiated rates exceed this amount. Patients should verify their specific plan's allowed amount before scheduling and inquire directly about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts, which can further reduce the final bill.
When evaluating the cost of this procedure, it is crucial to compare rates against the Medicare benchmark rather than the hospital's inflated chargemaster list. The Medicare amount for this service is $179.20, which serves as the objective baseline for fair pricing; commercial negotiated rates typically average between 200% and 300% of this figure, whereas fair pricing is generally defined as 120% to 150%. In this instance, the median negotiated rate of $859.00 represents a significant markup over the Medicare rate, illustrating the common pitfall of assuming in-network coverage automatically yields the lowest possible price. To ensure transparency and avoid unexpected costs, patients should