CT scan, head (with contrast)
Facility: Kiowa District Hospital
Billing Code: 70460 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 70460
- Insurance Median: $832
- Cash Discount Price: $704
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 4.64x 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 464% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 364%). 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 | 191% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $453 | 253% |
| Healthchoice-All Plans | $456 | 254% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $704 - $880 | 393% |
| Health Partners Of Ks-All Plans | $774 | 432% |
| Humana | $794 | 443% |
| Multiplan-All Plans | $827 | 461% |
| Gbs Insurance - All Plans | $827 | 461% |
| Triwest-All Plans | $836 | 467% |
| Aetna | $836 | 467% |
| Medicare (plans) | $836 | 467% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $880 | 491% |
| Providers Care (Wppa)-All Plans | $1,320 | 737% |
| Liberty Healthshare-All Plans | $1,421 | 793% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the CPT code 70460, representing a CT scan of the head with contrast, the facility's cash median rate is $704.00, which is notably lower than the gross charge of $880.00. While the Medicare benchmark for this service is $179.20, commercial negotiated rates vary significantly across payers, ranging from $343 for Tricare up to $1,421 for Liberty Healthshare. It is important to note that cash-pay rates can sometimes be more advantageous for patients with high-deductible plans if their insurance negotiated rates exceed the cash price, as the administrative overhead of insurance billing often inflates the baseline cost by 20% to 40%. Patients should verify their specific plan's allowed amount before scheduling, as in-network rates do not guarantee the lowest possible price, and some facilities may offer self-pay or prompt-pay discounts that bypass standard insurance processing.
The facility, Kiowa District Hospital, is a Critical Access Hospital in Kansas with a government ownership structure, and while specific county or state average comparisons are not provided in this dataset, the wide variance in payer rates highlights the importance of checking for "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts prior to check-in. To ensure you are receiving fair pricing, we recommend requesting a full itemized billing audit rather than accepting a summary bill, as over 80% of hospital bills contain errors such as unbundled codes or services not rendered. If you encounter a balance bill or unexpected charges, you should dispute the invoice in writing with the billing supervisor and request a review under the No Surprises Act protections, rather than paying immediately out of fear of credit damage