Blood test, magnesium
Facility: Kiowa County Memorial Hospital
Billing Code: 83735 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 83735
- Insurance Median: $66
- Cash Discount Price: $63
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 9.85x 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 985% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 885%). 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 | $26 - $66 | 388% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $59 - $74 | 881% |
| Health Partners Of Ks-All Plans | $65 | 970% |
| Aetna | $66 | 985% |
| Celtic Comml Exchange-All Other Plans | $66 | 985% |
| Medica Prime Mcare Cost-All Plans | $66 | 985% |
| Humana | $66 | 985% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $74 | 1104% |
| Providrs Care/Wppa-All Plans | $111 | 1657% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the blood test, magnesium procedure (CPT 83735), Kiowa County Memorial Hospital in Greensburg, KS, has a cash median price of $63.00 and a median negotiated rate of $66.00. This cash price is notably lower than the facility's gross charge of $74.00, and patients with high-deductible plans may find paying out-of-pocket at the cash rate more cost-effective than relying on insurance, which often negotiates rates higher than the cash price due to administrative overhead. While the facility is a Critical Access Hospital owned by the local government, it is important to note that commercial payers like Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealthcare have negotiated rates ranging from $59 to $74, which can exceed the cash price. Patients should explicitly ask the hospital about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts before scheduling, as these upfront fee reductions can further lower the total cost by bypassing the standard insurance billing cycle.
When reviewing your final invoice, ensure you request a detailed, itemized bill rather than accepting a summary statement that obscures individual line items, as over 80% of hospital bills contain errors such as unbundled codes or charges for services not rendered. To verify if the facility's pricing is reasonable, compare the commercial negotiated rate of $66.00 against the Medicare amount of $6.70; while commercial rates often average 200% to 300% of Medicare, fair pricing is typically defined as 120% to 150% of this federal baseline. Additionally, be aware that balance billing can occur if specific lab components are out-of-network