Blood test, vitamin B12
Facility: Stevens County Hospital
Billing Code: 82607 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 82607
- Insurance Median: $57
- Cash Discount Price: $105
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 3.78x 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 $15.08 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 378% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 278%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aetna | $16 - $105 | 106% |
| Humana | $39 | 259% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $55 - $57 | 365% |
| First Health - All Plans | $94 | 623% |
| Wppa - All Plans | $100 | 663% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $105 | 696% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For this vitamin B12 blood test at Stevens County Hospital in Hugoton, Kansas, the cash price is $105.00, which matches the facility's gross charge and the highest negotiated rate among payers. While the median negotiated rate across all payers is $57.00, the cash price remains the most consistent figure, suggesting that commercial insurance contracts may not always result in lower out-of-pocket costs for this specific service. It is important to note that cash-pay options can sometimes be cheaper for patients with high-deductible plans if the insurance negotiated rate exceeds the cash price, though in this instance, the cash rate aligns with the maximum allowed amount. Patients should verify with the hospital for any "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts before scheduling, as these upfront payment incentives can reduce the final bill by 20% to 50% by bypassing costly claims processing and administrative overhead.
When evaluating the cost of this procedure, it is helpful to compare it against the Medicare benchmark, which is set at $15.08. The facility's cash rate of $105.00 represents a significant markup relative to this federal baseline, illustrating how commercial pricing structures can differ substantially from government rates. Although the facility is a Critical Access Hospital with a government-local ownership structure, the lack of a clear county or state average in the provided data means direct regional comparisons are not available for this specific code. Regardless of the markup, patients should request an itemized billing audit to ensure no errors exist, as over 80% of hospital bills contain mistakes such as double-billing or unbundled codes. If a balance bill arises from out-of-network ancillary services,