X-ray, chest (single view)
Facility: Ellsworth County Medical Center
Billing Code: 71045 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 71045
- Insurance Median: $140
- Cash Discount Price: $156
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 1.57x 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 $88.91 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy Blue Mcr Adv | $73 | 82% |
| Humana | $73 - $148 | 82% |
| Triwest -All Plans | $73 | 82% |
| Va Ccn-All Plans | $73 | 82% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $101 - $156 | 114% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $116 - $122 | 130% |
| First Health - All Plans | $140 | 157% |
| Aetna | $140 | 157% |
| Cigna | $148 | 166% |
| Coventry Mcaid-All Plans | $156 | 175% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $156 | 175% |
| Healthy Blue Mcaid- All Other Plans | $156 | 175% |
| Providers Care-Wppa-All Plans | $234 | 263% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the CPT code 71045, representing a chest X-ray at Ellsworth County Medical Center in Ellsworth, KS, the facility's cash price is $156.00. This cash rate aligns exactly with the facility's negotiated rate of $140.00 and the median paid amount of $121.00 across 13 payers, indicating that commercial insurance contracts do not offer a lower price than paying out-of-pocket. While the facility is a Critical Access Hospital with a facility rating of 2, the cash price is notably higher than the Medicare benchmark of $88.91, which serves as the objective baseline for true healthcare costs. Patients with high-deductible plans may find this cash price advantageous, as it avoids the administrative overhead and potential markup associated with insurance billing cycles.
The data reveals significant variation in allowed amounts among payers, ranging from a low of $73.00 for Healthy Blue Mcr Adv and Triwest to a high of $234.00 for Providers Care-Wppa-All Plans. Although the facility is located in Ellsworth (ZIP 67439), the provided dataset does not include specific county or state average figures for comparison. To minimize costs, patients should verify their specific plan's deductible status and ask the hospital directly about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts, which can reduce the bill by 20% to 50% if paid in full upfront. If a patient receives a bill exceeding the cash price, they should request an itemized audit to identify errors or unbundled charges, as over 80% of hospital bills contain mistakes that