X-ray, chest (single view)
Facility: Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital
Billing Code: 71045 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 71045
- Insurance Median: $169
- Cash Discount Price: $174
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 1.90x 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 $88.91 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Humana | $100 | 112% |
| Tricare | $108 | 121% |
| Aetna | $127 - $184 | 143% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $127 - $205 | 143% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $127 - $205 | 143% |
| Va Ccn - All Plans | $127 | 143% |
| Ambetter / Centene | $140 | 157% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $169 | 190% |
| Health Partners - All Plans | $195 | 219% |
| Healthy Blue Mcaid - All Plans | $205 | 231% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the CPT code 71045, representing a chest X-ray, Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital in Wakeeney, KS, has a cash median price of $174.00, which is notably higher than the state average of $140.00. While the facility's negotiated rates range from $100 to $205 depending on the insurance plan, patients with high-deductible plans might find the cash price more advantageous if their insurer's negotiated rate exceeds $174.00. It is important to note that commercial rates often include administrative overhead and contract markups that can inflate the baseline price, so comparing these figures directly to the Medicare benchmark of $88.91 reveals a significant markup.
Patients should be aware that while the No Surprises Act protects against balance billing for out-of-network services at in-network facilities, unexpected ancillary charges or summary bills that obscure individual line items can still lead to confusion. To ensure you are not overcharged, request a full itemized CPT-coded bill before finalizing payment to identify any unbundled codes or services not rendered. Additionally, since this facility is a Critical Access Hospital with government-local ownership, you should explicitly ask about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts, which can reduce the final amount owed by 20% to 50% if paid upfront, bypassing the costly claims processing cycle that insurance billing entails.