CMS Price Transparency Data

Drug screening test

Facility: Boston Medical Center

Billing Code: G0480 (HCPCS)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$137

about 1.2× the $114 Medicare rate · typically $95–$303

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$114

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $23 under the fair price · 1.0× Medicare

Medicare pays $114 Fair price $137 This hospital $114 Cash price $127 Hospital's list price $282

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other MA hospitals

Lowest price of the 9 MA hospitals we have prices for — a strong deal.

Cheapest $114 Priciest $120

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 MA hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.

A fair price for a Drug screening test is about $137 (about 1.2× the $114 Medicare rate). Boston Medical Center charges insurers about $114, or about $127 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Boston, MA.

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

5 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Cigna✓ Humana Kaiser Permanente

Crossed out = this hospital hasn’t published a negotiated price for that insurer for this procedure. It doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t accepted — ask your insurer.

Insurance company	Price range	vs. Medicare
UnitedHealthcaremajor	$103 - $281	90%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$114 - $212	100%
Aetnamajor	$114 - $138	100%
Cignamajor	$240 - $276	210%
Humanamajor	$114	100%
Harvard Pilgrim	$281	246%
Tufts Health Plan	$60 - $276	52%
UniCare	$212	185%
WellCare	$119	104%
WellSense	$60 - $72	52%
+ 24 smaller / regional plans	$60 - $513

Government programs also on file: Medicare, Medicaid, Military & VA.

Excludes 3 rental-network / third-party entries (e.g. Multiplan, PHCS) — these are pricing networks, not insurers.

Self-Pay How to get the cash price

Tell the billing desk you want to be billed as self-pay — not through insurance — before your visit.
Ask for the cash / prompt-pay discount in writing, with the exact price (about 127), before you agree to anything.
Get it in writing that they won’t also bill your insurance, so the cash price is what you owe.
Check the HCPCS code on your bill matches exactly: G0480.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Boston Medical Center is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for HCPCS code G0480.
Confirm the doctor or provider is in-network too — not just the hospital building.
Check your Explanation of Benefits against the hospital’s final itemized bill.

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost

A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.

How you’d pay

Deductible left to meet ($)

Your coinsurance (%)

Enter your details and press estimate to compare.

Other Procedures at Boston Medical Center

Compare: Drug screening test at other MA hospitals

Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.