Blood test, magnesium
Facility: Ellsworth County Medical Center
Billing Code: 83735 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 83735
- Insurance Median: $53
- Cash Discount Price: $59
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 7.91x 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 $6.7 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 791% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 691%). 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 | $24 - $26 | 358% |
| Healthy Blue Mcr Adv | $28 | 418% |
| Va Ccn-All Plans | $28 | 418% |
| Humana | $28 - $56 | 418% |
| Triwest -All Plans | $28 | 418% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $38 - $59 | 567% |
| First Health - All Plans | $53 | 791% |
| Aetna | $53 | 791% |
| Cigna | $56 | 836% |
| Healthy Blue Mcaid- All Other Plans | $59 | 881% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $59 | 881% |
| Coventry Mcaid-All Plans | $59 | 881% |
| Providers Care-Wppa-All Plans | $88 | 1313% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For this blood magnesium test at Ellsworth County Medical Center in Ellsworth, KS, the facility's negotiated rates range from $24 to $88 depending on your insurance plan, with a median negotiated amount of $53.00. This facility is a Critical Access Hospital with a Proprietary ownership structure, and its pricing is notably higher than the state average. While the cash price is listed at $59.00, which matches the gross charge, patients with high-deductible plans might find paying cash directly more cost-effective if their insurance negotiated rate exceeds this amount. It is important to remember that commercial insurance rates often include administrative overhead and contract dynamics that can inflate the baseline price by 20% to 40% compared to direct cash payments.
To ensure you are getting the best possible price, we recommend asking the hospital about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts before scheduling your visit, as these can significantly reduce the final bill. Additionally, since over 80% of hospital bills contain errors, we strongly advise requesting a full itemized CPT-coded statement rather than accepting a summary bill. When evaluating the cost, it is more accurate to compare rates against the Medicare benchmark of $6.70 rather than the facility's gross chargemaster, which can be inflated to make discounts appear larger than they are. Finally, if you are concerned about unexpected costs, be aware that the No Surprises Act protects you from balance billing for out-of-network services at in-network facilities, so you should dispute any surprise bills with your insurer rather than paying them immediately.