Blood test, calcium
Facility: Sheridan County Hospital
Billing Code: 82310 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 82310
- Insurance Median: $15
- Cash Discount Price: $22
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 2.91x 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 $5.16 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 291% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 191%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Celtic Insurance | $13 | 252% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $15 | 291% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $21 | 407% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the CPT code 82310, representing a blood test for calcium, Sheridan County Hospital in Hoxie, KS, lists a cash price of $22.00. This cash rate is identical to the facility's negotiated rates with Celtic Insurance and Blue Cross Blue Shield, both of which pay $13.00 and $15.00 respectively, while UnitedHealthcare pays $21.00. It is important to note that the cash price of $22.00 is significantly higher than the Medicare benchmark of $5.16, which serves as the federal baseline for this service. While commercial insurance plans often negotiate rates that exceed cash prices, patients with high-deductible plans may find paying the full cash price upfront to be the most cost-effective option, as it avoids the administrative overhead and potential gaps in coverage that can inflate insurance bills.
To ensure you are receiving the best possible rate, we recommend requesting an itemized billing audit before finalizing payment. Hospitals often issue summary bills that obscure individual charges, making it difficult to identify errors or unbundled codes that could reduce your total cost. Since over 80% of hospital bills contain errors, obtaining a detailed line-by-line statement is the most effective way to verify that you are not being charged for services not rendered or for components that should be bundled. Additionally, because this facility is a Critical Access Hospital with government local ownership, you should explicitly ask about self-pay or prompt-pay discounts, which can offer a fee reduction of 20% to 50% if you settle the bill in full within a short window, bypassing the costly insurance claims cycle.