Total knee replacement
Facility: Great Plains Of Sabetha
Billing Code: 27447 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 27447
- Insurance Median: $1,682
- Cash Discount Price: $2,550
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 0.13x 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 $13,116.76 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Celtic Mcr Adv | $1,056 | 8% |
| Aetna | $1,066 - $2,044 | 8% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $1,140 - $1,156 | 9% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $1,156 | 9% |
| Celtic Comm Exchange-All Other Plans | $1,320 | 10% |
| Great West Healthcare-All Plans | $2,168 | 17% |
| Century/Wppa/Providers-All Plans | $2,295 | 17% |
| Multiplan-Phcs-All Plans | $2,422 | 18% |
| Federated Mutual Ins-All Plans | $2,448 | 19% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $7,473 - $7,866 | 57% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For a total knee replacement at Great Plains Of Sabetha in Sabetha, Kansas, the cash price is $2,550, which matches the facility's median paid amount. While the facility is a Critical Access Hospital with a voluntary non-profit ownership, patients should be aware that commercial insurance negotiated rates often exceed cash prices due to administrative overhead and contract dynamics. In this case, the lowest negotiated rate among in-network payers like Celtic Mcr Adv is $1,056, but higher-tier payers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield have negotiated rates ranging from $7,473 to $7,866. This illustrates that assuming an in-network plan guarantees the lowest cost can be misleading, as some commercial contracts may result in significantly higher out-of-pocket expenses compared to self-pay options.
To minimize costs, patients should verify their specific plan's deductible status and ask the hospital directly about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts before scheduling, as these upfront fee reductions can bypass the costly insurance billing cycle. It is also important to understand that balance billing is generally prohibited for emergency care and non-emergency services at in-network facilities under the No Surprises Act, though patients should still request a detailed, itemized bill to ensure no unbundled codes or services not rendered are included. Since Medicare rates for this procedure are $13,116.76, commercial rates should be evaluated against this federal benchmark rather than the facility's inflated chargemaster list to determine if the negotiated or cash price represents fair value.