X-ray, lower back
Facility: Smith County Memorial Hospital
Billing Code: 72110 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 72110
- Insurance Median: $358
- Cash Discount Price: $381
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 3.35x 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 335% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 235%). 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 | $246 | 230% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $267 - $381 | 250% |
| Multiplan-All Plans | $343 | 321% |
| Wppa-All Plans | $358 | 335% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $362 | 339% |
| Midlands Choice-All Plans | $362 | 339% |
| Health Partners Of Ks Ppo-All Plans | $362 | 339% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the X-ray of the lower back at Smith County Memorial Hospital in Smith Center, Kansas, the cash price is $381.00, which matches the facility's median negotiated rate and the cash median. This service is billed under CPT code 72110, and while the facility is a Critical Access Hospital owned by the local government, the data does not include a specific county or state average for comparison. Patients should be aware that commercial insurance negotiated rates vary significantly by payer; for instance, Medicaid/KanCare plans have a range from $267 to $381, whereas other payers like UnitedHealthcare and Multiplan-All Plans have fixed negotiated rates of $362 and $343, respectively. Because the cash price aligns with the highest negotiated rate found in this dataset, patients with high-deductible plans might find paying out-of-pocket directly cheaper than having insurance process the claim, provided their deductible has not yet been met.
To minimize potential costs, patients should explicitly ask the hospital about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts before scheduling, as these upfront payment incentives can reduce the final bill by 20% to 50%. It is also important to request a full itemized billing audit rather than accepting a summary bill, as over 80% of hospital bills contain errors such as unbundled codes or charges for services not rendered. If a patient receives a balance bill from an out-of-network provider, they should not pay immediately out of fear of credit damage; instead, they should dispute the bill with their insurer and request a No Surprises Act audit to ensure they are not being charged for the difference between the provider's charg