X-ray, lower back
Facility: Stevens County Hospital
Billing Code: 72110 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 72110
- Insurance Median: $363
- Cash Discount Price: $417
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 3.40x 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 $106.81 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 340% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 240%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Humana | $154 | 144% |
| Aetna | $159 - $417 | 149% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $236 - $248 | 221% |
| First Health - All Plans | $375 | 351% |
| Wppa - All Plans | $396 | 371% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $417 | 390% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For this X-ray of the lower back at Stevens County Hospital in Hugoton, Kansas, the cash price is $417.00, which matches the facility's gross chargemaster rate. While the median negotiated rate across six payers is $363.00, the cash price remains the highest figure listed, indicating that paying out-of-pocket for this specific service does not offer a discount in this instance. It is important to note that cash-pay options can sometimes be cheaper for patients with high-deductible plans if their insurance negotiated rate exceeds the cash price, though this is not the case here. Additionally, patients should verify if the hospital offers "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts, as these upfront fee reductions can lower costs by 20% to 50% if requested before check-in.
This service is benchmarked against the Medicare rate of $106.81, showing a markup of 3.4 times the federal baseline. While the data provided does not include specific state or county average comparisons for this code, the facility is a Critical Access Hospital with a government-local ownership structure. If you have received a bill, ensure it is an itemized statement rather than a summary bill, as over 80% of hospital bills contain errors such as double-billing or unbundled codes that can be disputed. If you are concerned about balance billing, remember that the No Surprises Act protects you from being billed for out-of-network services at in-network facilities, and you should never sign away your rights to dispute surprise bills without fully understanding the terms.