Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital
201 - 16Th Avenue East, Seattle, WA 98112 · 90 Priced Procedures · 62% Patient Recommendation
Typical commercial prices here are +50% above the fair benchmark (1.50×) even after accounting for local nurse/doctor wages and patient complexity.
3-Star CMS clinical quality rating paired with 1.50× fair market pricing.
Aligned Regional Benchmark Peer
Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital prices shoppable and inpatient services (2.0× to 1.8× Medicare, divergence 0.90×) in alignment with regional hospital peers (1.50× Fair BaseRate). Reviewing plan-specific negotiated rates and cash discounts helps lock in the lowest out-of-pocket tier.
Where They're Good (Patient & Payer Edge)
- Bottom-quartile procedures (Q25) price at 1.55× the peer BaseRate benchmark
- Self-pay cash beats commercial insurance on 20% of shoppable procedures (99/100 Cash Honesty)
- CMS clinical safety score (61/100 safety score) with 62% patient recommendation
- IRS 501(c)(3) charity care provides free care up to 200% FPL and discounted care up to 400% FPL (22.4% AGB cap)
Where You Can Get Burned (Markup Traps)
- Even at low-cost facilities (1.50× Fair BaseRate), out-of-network or unnegotiated chargemaster bills can exceed commercial medians — confirm in-network status or request a self-pay cash quote up front.
- Commercial insurance median sits at 1.68× Fair BaseRate (2.0× Medicare), so insured patients should always compare the self-pay cash price before paying.
- Even at low-cost facilities (1.50× Fair BaseRate), out-of-network or unnegotiated chargemaster bills can exceed commercial medians — confirm in-network status or request a self-pay cash quote up front.
- Unnegotiated chargemaster list prices average 9.8× Medicare (14¢ true HCRIS cost per $1 gross)
Pre-scheduled outpatient procedures where patients can comparison-shop.
Emergency, inpatient DRG, lab, and specialty drug lines billed after admission.
Detects median-gaming when upper-quartile codes spike above the p50 median.
Procedure Prices at Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital
High-impact clinical procedures (MRIs, surgeries, inpatient stays, visits) are prioritized first. Use the category pills or search bar to filter all 90 published procedures.
| Procedure & Billing Code | This Hospital | vs. Fair |
|---|---|---|
| Total hip replacement CPT Code: 27130 | $20,753 | 1.5× |
| Total knee replacement CPT Code: 27447 | $20,753 | 1.5× |
| Gallbladder removal (laparoscopic) CPT Code: 47562 | $9,411 | 1.5× |
| Breast lump removal CPT Code: 19120 | $6,177 | 1.6× |
| Inguinal hernia repair CPT Code: 49505 | $5,693 | 1.6× |
| Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair CPT Code: 29881 | $5,234 | 1.6× |
| Bunion correction surgery CPT Code: 28296 | $5,234 | 1.5× |
| Cataract surgery with lens implant CPT Code: 66984 | $3,679 | 1.4× |
| Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) CPT Code: 93306 | $2,135 | 3.7× |
| Colonoscopy with biopsy CPT Code: 45380 | $1,902 | 1.5× |
| Upper endoscopy with biopsy CPT Code: 43239 | $1,513 | 1.5× |
| Colonoscopy (diagnostic) CPT Code: 45378 | $1,471 | 1.5× |
| Ultrasound, leg veins (duplex) CPT Code: 93970 | $1,343 | 4.9× |
| Hepatitis B immune globulin HCPCS Code: 90371 | $1,103 | 7.3× |
| Injection procedure for pain management HCPCS Code: G0260 | $1,117 | 1.3× |
| CT scan, abdomen and pelvis (with contrast) CPT Code: 74177 | $819 | 1.8× |
| MRI, brain (with and without contrast) CPT Code: 70553 | $819 | 1.6× |
| Blood transfusion CPT Code: 36430 | $706 | 1.4× |
| CT scan, abdomen and pelvis (no contrast) CPT Code: 74176 | $554 | 1.8× |
| MRI, lower back (no contrast) CPT Code: 72148 | $554 | 1.6× |
| MRI, brain (no contrast) CPT Code: 70551 | $554 | 1.6× |
| MRI, knee or other leg joint CPT Code: 73721 | $554 | 1.5× |
| CT scan, head (with contrast) CPT Code: 70460 | $407 | 1.7× |
| CT scan, head (with and without contrast) CPT Code: 70470 | $407 | 1.6× |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG, tracing only) CPT Code: 93005 | $270 | 4.2× |
Audit a Bill or Quote at Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital (Zero PHI Required)
Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $8,482
At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (22.4% of gross = $8,482).
Self-Pay Cash Rate ($30,320) Beats Your Bill
Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital's published 45 CFR § 180 self-pay cash rate is $30,320 (vs. $20,753 commercial insurer median). Ask billing to reclassify the visit to prompt-pay self-pay if it beats your deductible.
Negotiate Toward $13,413 Fair BaseRate ($13,117 Medicare)
Your bill ($37,900) is $24,487 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($13,413) and 2.9× the $13,117 Medicare rate.
Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) & Amounts Generally Billed (AGB)
Hospital-Specific CMS HCRIS Benchmark (22.4% of gross charges)
Under 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5), a tax-exempt hospital organization may not bill FAP-eligible patients more than Amounts Generally Billed (AGB) to individuals with insurance covering emergency or medically necessary care. Derived from this facility’s reported CMS HCRIS cost-to-charge & insurer allowance filings. Verify your exact Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) determination directly with the billing office.
Clinical Quality, Patient Experience & Infection Benchmarks
CMS Price Transparency Administrative Enforcement Log
Factual public administrative actions published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding 45 CFR § 180 compliance at Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital. Prior administrative notices do not necessarily reflect current compliance status.
- 2025-04-14·administrative_or_closure
Met Requirements
Recorded
Source: CMS Hospital Care Compare (138 completed HCAHPS patient surveys). Clinical quality metrics summarize historical facility-wide cohorts and are not medical advice for individual care decisions.
How to Pay Less Nearby: Freestanding Centers, Insurer Leverage & Outpatient Savings
2D regional comparison of commercial negotiated price index against CMS clinical quality composite for Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital.
Verify the Raw Data: Official Hospital MRF, CMS Medicare.gov & Federal Filings
Safe-Harbor Data Corrections: Parsed directly from public 45 CFR § 180 hospital filings, CMS Care Compare, and CMS HCRIS cost reports. Hospital compliance officers may submit updated MRF URLs or rate tables for verification.