Blood test, urea nitrogen (BUN, kidney)
Facility: Northeast Regional Medical Center
Billing Code: 84520 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 84520
- Insurance Median: $75
- Cash Discount Price: $83
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 18.99x 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 $3.95 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 1899% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 1799%). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Node Champva | $3 | 76% |
| Tricare | $3 | 76% |
| Veterans Eval Services | $4 | 101% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $4 - $6 | 101% |
| Blue Prefrerred | $4 | 101% |
| Node Hospice Non Par Agree | $4 | 101% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $4 - $158 | 101% |
| Blue Pathway/Pathway X | $4 | 101% |
| Node Devoted Health McR Adv | $4 | 101% |
| Medicare (plans) | $4 | 101% |
| Node VA | $4 | 101% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $4 - $64 | 101% |
| Blue Access | $4 | 101% |
| Us Department of Labor | $5 | 127% |
| Centurion Correctional | $5 | 127% |
| Home State Exchange | $7 | 177% |
| Naphcare | $8 | 203% |
| Immergrun | $8 | 203% |
| Self Pay | $51 - $116 | 1291% |
| Cigna | $72 - $83 | 1823% |
| Aetna | $79 - $176 | 2000% |
| Access Health Services, LLC | $137 | 3468% |
| Healthlink | $158 - $169 | 4000% |
| Multiplan | $158 - $169 | 4000% |
| Coventry Wc | $169 | 4278% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
Northeast Regional Medical Center in Kirksville, Missouri, reports a cash median charge of $83 for CPT code 84520, a blood test for urea nitrogen. This facility, a proprietary acute care hospital, lists a gross charge of $211, while the median negotiated rate across its 25 payers is $75. The Medicare amount for this service is $3.95, which serves as the benchmark for evaluating commercial pricing. Notably, the Self Pay rate range spans from $4 to $158, and the lowest negotiated rate among commercial plans is $4, indicating significant variation in how different insurers contract for this procedure.
When comparing these figures to broader market standards, the cash price of $83 is notably higher than the median negotiated rate of $75, suggesting that paying out-of-pocket may not always be the most economical option for patients with high-deductible plans. The data shows that many payers, including UnitedHealthcare and Aetna, have negotiated rates ranging from $4 to over $176, with the highest commercial rate recorded at $176. To minimize costs, patients should verify if their specific plan allows for "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts, as hospitals often offer fee reductions for upfront payments that bypass the administrative overhead of insurance claims processing.