CT scan, head (no contrast)
Facility: Aurora Medical Center
Billing Code: 70450 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 70450
- Insurance Median: $1,014
- Cash Discount Price: $1,470
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 9.49x 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 $106.81 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 949% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 849%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora Caregiver | $475 | 445% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $538 - $2,475 | 504% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $556 - $2,499 | 521% |
| Healthpartners | $796 - $2,205 | 745% |
| Molina Exchange | $796 | 745% |
| Common Ground | $812 | 760% |
| Centivo | $820 | 768% |
| Aetna | $836 - $2,428 | 783% |
| Health Payment Systems | $875 | 819% |
| Quartz One | $900 | 843% |
| Everpointe Elite | $983 | 920% |
| Quartz Group | $1,000 | 936% |
| Hs Technology | $1,014 | 949% |
| Wisconsin Physician Service | $1,128 - $1,187 | 1056% |
| Trilogy | $1,170 | 1095% |
| Cigna | $1,700 - $2,487 | 1592% |
| Health Eos Plus | $1,764 | 1652% |
| Health Eos | $2,352 | 2202% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
If you are paying cash for this CT scan of the head, you should know that the facility's cash rate of $1,470 is significantly higher than the state average for this procedure. While cash payments can sometimes be cheaper for patients with high-deductible plans if their insurance negotiated rate exceeds the cash price, in this specific case, the negotiated rates range from $475 to $2,499 depending on the insurance carrier, meaning many insured patients may pay less than the cash price. It is crucial to check with the hospital directly for "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts before scheduling, as these upfront fee reductions can lower the total cost by bypassing the costly claims processing cycle that inflates insurance billing.
The broader rate context shows that while the cash rate of $1,470 is notable, the facility's gross charge is $2,940, and the median negotiated rate across the 18 payers is $1,014, with the median paid amount being $1,004. To ensure you are not overcharged, you should request a full itemized CPT-coded bill rather than accepting a summary invoice, as over 80% of hospital bills contain errors such as double-billing or unbundled codes. Additionally, if you receive a bill for services rendered by out-of-network providers at this in-network facility, the No Surprises Act protects you from balance billing for emergency and non-emergency care, so you should dispute any unexpected charges immediately rather than paying them out of fear of credit damage.