Blood test, potassium
Facility: Children'S Mercy South
Billing Code: 84132 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 84132
- Insurance Median: $36
- Cash Discount Price: $27
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 7.56x 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 $4.76 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 756% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 656%). 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 | $4 - $38 | 84% |
| Healthy Blue | $5 - $13 | 105% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $5 | 105% |
| Home State Health | $11 | 231% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $23 - $41 | 483% |
| Cigna | $27 - $39 | 567% |
| Medica | $33 | 693% |
| Aetna | $34 - $38 | 714% |
| Nebraska Furniture Mart | $36 | 756% |
| Wppa Providrs Care | $36 | 756% |
| Health Midwest Comprehensive Care | $36 | 756% |
| Quiktrip | $36 | 756% |
| Orscheln | $36 | 756% |
| Centivo | $36 | 756% |
| Wellfit/Centrus | $36 | 756% |
| Humana | $37 | 777% |
| Coxhealth Network | $41 | 861% |
| Coventry Health Care Of Kansas | $41 | 861% |
| Mercy Health | $42 | 882% |
| Multiplan | $43 | 903% |
| American Healthcare Alliance | $48 | 1008% |
| Healthlink | $49 | 1029% |
| National Preferred Provider Network | $50 | 1050% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the blood test for potassium (CPT 84132) at Children's Mercy South in Overland Park, KS, the facility's cash median price is $27.00, which is significantly lower than the state average of $36.00. While many commercial payers have negotiated rates ranging from $4 to $50, the cash price remains the lowest option available for this service. Patients with high-deductible plans or those without insurance may find it financially advantageous to pay the cash rate directly, as it avoids the administrative overhead and markup often embedded in insurance negotiated rates. To secure this lower price, patients should explicitly request a "self-pay" classification or "prompt-pay" discount before scheduling, ensuring the billing system does not automatically submit a claim to an insurance carrier that could result in a higher allowed amount.
The facility's Medicare benchmark rate is $4.76, which serves as the objective baseline for evaluating pricing fairness. The cash price of $27.00 represents approximately 5.7 times the Medicare rate, while the median negotiated rate across payers is $36.00, or roughly 7.6 times the Medicare rate. Although commercial rates are higher than the cash option, they are still substantially above the federal Medicare benchmark, indicating a significant markup relative to the true cost of care. Consumers should be aware that comparing these rates to the hospital's gross charge list can be misleading, as the chargemaster is inflated to make discounts appear larger; the most accurate comparison is always against the Medicare amount. For full transparency, patients are encouraged to request an itemized bill to verify that no unbundled codes or services not rendered are included in the