CMS Price Transparency Data

Cataract surgery with lens implant

Facility: Howard County Medical Center

Billing Code: 66984 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$533

about 0.2× the $2,358 Medicare rate · typically $503–$1,665

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$502

About the fair price

about $31 under the fair price · 0.2× Medicare

Medicare pays $2,358 Fair price $533 This hospital $502

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other NE hospitals

One of the lower prices — 6 of 8 other NE hospitals charge more for the same procedure.

Cheapest $487 Priciest $1,340

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

A fair price for a Cataract surgery with lens implant is about $533 (about 0.2× the $2,358 Medicare rate). Howard County Medical Center charges insurers about $502 — about the fair price. Located in St Paul, NE.

What each insurance company pays

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

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

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Humana CignaKaiser 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	$487 - $1,973	21%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$487 - $2,351	21%
Aetnamajor	$487	21%
Humanamajor	$414	18%
Ambetter (Centene)	$975	41%
Medica	$487 - $967	21%
Molina	$512	22%
Oscar Health	$853	36%
WellCare	$502	21%
+ 3 smaller / regional plans	$487 - $1,017

Government programs also on file: Military & VA.

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, 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 CPT code on your bill matches exactly: 66984.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Howard County Medical Center is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 66984.
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 Howard County Medical Center

Compare: Cataract surgery with lens implant at other NE hospitals

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