Blood test, hemoglobin
Facility: Lincoln County Hospital
Billing Code: 85018 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 85018
- Insurance Median: $10
- Cash Discount Price: $27
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 4.22x 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 $2.37 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 422% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 322%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $10 | 422% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For this blood test for hemoglobin at Lincoln County Hospital in Lincoln, KS, the cash price is $27.00, which is lower than the facility's gross charge of $31.00. While the hospital is a Critical Access Hospital owned by the local government, the specific negotiated rate for Blue Cross Blue Shield is $10.00, which is significantly lower than the cash price. This scenario highlights a common billing dynamic where paying out-of-pocket can sometimes be more expensive than using insurance if the insurer's negotiated rate is lower than the cash price. However, patients with high-deductible plans should consider that paying the cash price of $27.00 upfront might result in immediate cost savings compared to waiting for insurance to pay its allowed amount, especially if the deductible has not yet been met.
To ensure you are not overcharged, it is important to understand that hospitals often issue summary bills that obscure individual line items, making it difficult to spot errors or unbundled charges. Before finalizing payment, you should request a full itemized bill that lists every specific CPT code and unit cost to verify that no services were billed for that were not rendered. Additionally, since the facility offers a prompt-pay discount for upfront payment, you should explicitly ask the billing department about self-pay or prompt-pay rates before scheduling your visit to avoid being billed the full negotiated amount by your insurance carrier. Always dispute any unexpected balance bills immediately by requesting a formal audit, as over 80% of hospital bills contain errors that can be corrected through a written dispute sent to the billing supervisor.