CMS Price Transparency Data

Drug screening test

Facility: Carolinas Medical Center/Behav Health

Billing Code: G0480 (HCPCS)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$76

about 0.7× the $114 Medicare rate · typically $73–$103

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$73

About the fair price

about $3 under the fair price · 0.6× Medicare

Medicare pays $114 Fair price $76 This hospital $73 Cash price $141 Hospital's list price $282

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other NC hospitals

One of the lower prices — 0 of 8 other NC hospitals charge more for the same procedure.

Cheapest $73 Priciest $73

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

A fair price for a Drug screening test is about $76 (about 0.7× the $114 Medicare rate). Carolinas Medical Center/Behav Health charges insurers about $73, or about $141 in cash — about the fair price. Located in Charlotte, NC.

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	$73 - $143	64%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$54 - $163	47%
Aetnamajor	$54 - $206	47%
Cignamajor	$54 - $226	47%
Humanamajor	$54 - $231	47%
Ambetter (Centene)	$82 - $133	72%
AmeriHealth	$62 - $73	54%
Health Net	$125 - $149	109%
Molina	$74	65%
WellCare	$63 - $73	55%
+ 19 smaller / regional plans	$62 - $282

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 141), 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 Carolinas Medical Center/Behav Health 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 Carolinas Medical Center/Behav Health

Compare: Drug screening test at other NC hospitals

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