CT scan, abdomen and pelvis (with contrast)
Facility: Kiowa District Hospital
Billing Code: 74177 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 74177
- Insurance Median: $836
- Cash Discount Price: $711
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 2.35x 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 $356.43 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 235% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 135%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tricare | $343 - $350 | 96% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $453 | 127% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $704 - $898 | 198% |
| Healthchoice-All Plans | $764 | 214% |
| Health Partners Of Ks-All Plans | $774 - $790 | 217% |
| Humana | $794 - $810 | 223% |
| Multiplan-All Plans | $827 - $844 | 232% |
| Gbs Insurance - All Plans | $827 - $844 | 232% |
| Triwest-All Plans | $836 - $853 | 235% |
| Medicare (plans) | $836 - $853 | 235% |
| Aetna | $836 - $853 | 235% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $880 - $898 | 247% |
| Providers Care (Wppa)-All Plans | $1,320 - $1,347 | 370% |
| Liberty Healthshare-All Plans | $1,421 - $1,450 | 399% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis with contrast at Kiowa District Hospital in Kiowa, KS, the facility's cash median price is $711.00, which is lower than the state average of $832.00. While the hospital is a government-owned Critical Access Hospital, patients with high-deductible plans may find paying the cash price directly more affordable than relying on insurance, as the negotiated rates for in-network payers like UnitedHealthcare and Triwest range from $704 to $898. Because commercial insurance contracts often include administrative overheads that inflate the baseline price by 20% to 40%, the cash rate can sometimes represent the most economical option. Patients should explicitly ask the hospital about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts before scheduling, as these upfront fee reductions—typically 20% to 50%—can further lower the final cost by bypassing the expensive claims processing cycle.
The facility's Medicare benchmarking rate of $356.43 serves as a critical baseline for evaluating pricing fairness, as commercial negotiated rates often average 200% to 300% of this federal standard. In this case, the median negotiated amount of $836.00 exceeds the cash price, illustrating how contract dynamics can result in higher out-of-pocket costs for insured patients compared to self-pay. It is important to note that while the No Surprises Act protects patients from balance billing for emergency care and non-emergency services from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, patients should still review their itemized bills carefully. Since over 80% of hospital bills contain errors such as double-b