CT scan, head (no contrast)
Facility: Graham County Hospital
Billing Code: 70450 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 70450
- Insurance Median: $485
- Cash Discount Price: $626
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 4.54x 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 454% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 354%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Medicaid / KanCare | $171 | 160% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $171 - $595 | 160% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $453 | 424% |
| Medicare (plans) | $470 | 440% |
| Celtic Commercial-All Other Plans | $516 | 483% |
| Wppa (Providers Care)-All Plans | $595 | 557% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For this CT scan of the head (no contrast) at Graham County Hospital in Hill City, Kansas, the cash price is $626.00, which matches the facility's median negotiated rate. While the facility is a Critical Access Hospital owned by the local government, the cash price is significantly higher than the Medicare benchmark of $106.81, reflecting a markup common in commercial billing. It is important to note that for patients with high-deductible plans, paying the cash price of $626.00 upfront can sometimes be cheaper than the insurance negotiated rate of $516.00 if the patient's deductible has not yet been met, as the insurer may still require full payment before covering the service. Patients should always verify their specific plan's deductible status and ask the hospital directly about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts, which can reduce the final bill by 20% to 50% if paid in full before or shortly after the procedure.
The pricing data for this service shows a wide range across payers, with Medicaid/KanCare rates at $171 and UnitedHealthcare rates ranging from $171 to $595, while the median paid amount across all plans is $516.00. Although the facility is located in a rural area (Zip 67642), the provided data does not include specific county or state average comparisons for this procedure, so direct regional benchmarking is not possible from this report. To ensure you are receiving the most accurate pricing, we recommend requesting an itemized billing audit before finalizing payment, as over 80% of hospital bills contain errors such as unbund