CT scan, chest (no contrast)
Facility: Osborne County Memorial Hospital
Billing Code: 71250 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 71250
- Insurance Median: $933
- Cash Discount Price: $876
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 8.74x 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 874% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 774%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare | $784 | 734% |
| Health Partners Of Kansas | $887 | 830% |
| Wppa | $979 | 917% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $1,010 | 946% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For a CT scan of the chest without contrast at Osborne County Memorial Hospital in Osborne, KS, the cash median price is $876.00, which is lower than the facility's gross charge of $1,031.00. While the hospital is a Critical Access Hospital owned by the local government, patients with high-deductible plans may find paying cash directly more cost-effective than using insurance, as the negotiated rates for in-network payers like UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield range from $784 to $1,010. It is important to note that commercial negotiated rates often include administrative overhead and can exceed cash prices; therefore, patients should explicitly ask the billing department about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts before scheduling to ensure they are not charged the full insurance negotiated amount.
This procedure's pricing is evaluated against the Medicare benchmark of $106.81, showing a markup of 8.7 times the federal rate, which aligns with typical commercial pricing structures where rates average 200% to 300% of Medicare. Although specific county or state average comparisons were not provided in the data, the significant difference between the Medicare amount and the cash price highlights the importance of understanding the true cost basis rather than relying on the hospital's gross chargemaster list. To avoid unexpected costs, consumers should request an itemized billing audit if they receive a summary bill, ensuring no unbundled codes or services not rendered are included, and should dispute any balance bills immediately if they arise from out-of-network ancillary services, as federal protections like the No Surprises Act may apply.