Ultrasound Measurement Of Bladder Capacity After Voiding
What Medicare pays for 51798, what providers bill, and how the price varies across 54 states, drawn from CMS 2023 claims data.
51798 · the short answer
For ultrasound measurement of bladder capacity after voiding, Medicare pays about $7.94 while providers bill $69.42 on average, a 8.7× markup, a higher-than-typical markup. State-level Medicare rates range 44% from lowest to highest.
- Medicare pays
- $7.94
- Providers bill
- $69.42
- Markup
- 8.7×
- Markup percentile
- 82th
Medicare amounts are CMS-published; markup = average submitted charge ÷ average Medicare payment.
Price Range Across States
What You Might Pay
Estimated using RAND 2024 commercial-to-Medicare ratios. Actual prices vary by insurer, plan, and facility.
How we estimate these prices
These estimates are based on the RAND Hospital Price Transparency Study (4th Edition, 2024), which found that commercial insurance prices average 224% of Medicare rates nationally. We apply category-specific ratios: Urinary Surgery procedures average 2.24x Medicare rates. Cash/self-pay estimates blend typical cash discounts (55% of billed charges) with Medicare-based estimates (150% of allowed amounts). These are statistical estimates, not quotes. Contact your insurer or provider for actual costs.
Where this markup sits nationally
Markup (billed ÷ Medicare) across 8,901 procedures with a meaningful Medicare rate
9 Among the most affordable more affordable than 82% of 8,901 procedures
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more procedures. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners · 2023
Prices by State
| State | Medicare Payment | Billed Charge |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $9.35 | $62.83 |
| New York | $9.31 | $90.43 |
| California | $9.26 | $83.60 |
| New Jersey | $9.07 | $97.18 |
| Guam | $8.84 | $32.46 |
| Hawaii | $8.81 | $55.11 |
| Connecticut | $8.73 | $75.77 |
| Massachusetts | $8.71 | $91.20 |
| Maryland | $8.66 | $50.07 |
| Alaska | $8.32 | $220.95 |
| Washington | $8.23 | $58.16 |
| Colorado | $8.14 | $48.45 |
| New Hampshire | $8.14 | $91.25 |
| Minnesota | $7.95 | $107.78 |
| Illinois | $7.94 | $98.87 |
| Delaware | $7.93 | $55.05 |
| Florida | $7.91 | $59.54 |
| Pennsylvania | $7.91 | $71.81 |
| Nevada | $7.86 | $51.71 |
| Vermont | $7.82 | $59.32 |
| Virginia | $7.80 | $74.51 |
| Rhode Island | $7.80 | $37.32 |
| Michigan | $7.77 | $38.47 |
| Oregon | $7.64 | $52.13 |
| Montana | $7.62 | $46.08 |
| Texas | $7.62 | $52.29 |
| Arizona | $7.55 | $50.19 |
| South Dakota | $7.51 | $64.91 |
| Maine | $7.50 | $46.58 |
| Wyoming | $7.41 | $51.57 |
| Puerto Rico | $7.35 | $48.62 |
| North Dakota | $7.34 | $69.39 |
| Wisconsin | $7.30 | $161.98 |
| Georgia | $7.25 | $64.32 |
| Missouri | $7.22 | $74.30 |
| New Mexico | $7.21 | $47.00 |
| North Carolina | $7.20 | $55.17 |
| Ohio | $7.12 | $60.91 |
| South Carolina | $7.11 | $62.85 |
| Utah | $7.11 | $43.17 |
| Kansas | $7.03 | $54.38 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | $7.02 | $27.30 |
| Iowa | $6.97 | $49.50 |
| Idaho | $6.92 | $52.56 |
| Louisiana | $6.90 | $57.69 |
| Indiana | $6.90 | $79.78 |
| Tennessee | $6.87 | $53.51 |
| Alabama | $6.83 | $67.94 |
| Nebraska | $6.78 | $68.99 |
| Oklahoma | $6.74 | $54.33 |
| Kentucky | $6.72 | $48.15 |
| West Virginia | $6.59 | $76.91 |
| Mississippi | $6.48 | $48.84 |
| Arkansas | $6.48 | $50.78 |
What the Data Says About Ultrasound Measurement Of Bladder Capacity After Voiding
Across 54 states with reporting providers, CPT code 51798 (Ultrasound Measurement Of Bladder Capacity After Voiding) shows a national average Medicare payment of $7.94 against an average billed charge of $69.42. That gap, a 8.7x markup, or 774% above the Medicare allowed amount, runs well above the median for tracked procedures, a sign the chargemaster rate here is more aspirational than transactional.
Urinary Surgery procedures like this one saw 1.9M services billed to Medicare in 2023 by 14.1K distinct providers, serving 1.3M unique beneficiaries. State-level variation is significant: Arkansas reports the lowest average payment at $6.48, while District of Columbia reports the highest at $9.35. The 44% spread here is a moderate, fairly ordinary GPCI effect, local cost-of-practice adjustments nudging the allowed amount up or down without reshaping it.
Applying RAND 2024 commercial-to-Medicare ratios specific to the Urinary Surgery category (2.24x), the estimated commercial insurance price lands near $24.26, with self-pay cash discounts commonly bringing the figure closer to $27.21. Within Urinary Surgery, Ultrasound Measurement Of Bladder Capacity After Voiding ranks #280 of 281 tracked procedures by national average Medicare payment.
What to do with this
If you may have ultrasound measurement of bladder capacity after voiding done, these steps turn the numbers above into a real-world cost estimate.
- Request a Good Faith Estimate from your provider at least 3 business days before a scheduled procedure, under the No Surprises Act it is an enforceable written price.
- Compare ultrasound measurement of bladder capacity after voiding costs in your state, Medicare rates vary by locality. Browse states
- Check a hospital’s published cash price, which is often far below the billed charge. Price transparency
- Understand why billed charges run several times the Medicare rate before you negotiate. Read the guide
Figures here are averages and estimates, not a quote. Confirm coverage and out-of-pocket costs with your insurer and provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Ultrasound Measurement Of Bladder Capacity After Voiding cost?
Medicare's national average payment for Ultrasound Measurement Of Bladder Capacity After Voiding (CPT 51798) is $7.94, with providers billing $69.42 on average; state rates run from $6.48 to $9.35, a meaningful but not extreme spread.
Why do providers charge more than Medicare pays?
Providers set their own chargemaster rates (billed charges), which are typically much higher than what any insurer pays. Medicare pays a fixed rate based on the procedure code and geographic location. The billed charge is relevant mainly for uninsured patients, who may face prices closer to the submitted charge.
How much does Ultrasound Measurement Of Bladder Capacity After Voiding cost with insurance?
With commercial insurance, ultrasound measurement of bladder capacity after voiding costs an estimated $24.26 on average (range: $16.98-$33.97), a moderate premium over Medicare's $7.94. Without insurance, the estimated cash price is $27.21.
Which state has the lowest cost for Ultrasound Measurement Of Bladder Capacity After Voiding?
Arkansas has the lowest average Medicare payment for Ultrasound Measurement Of Bladder Capacity After Voiding at $6.48, while District of Columbia has the highest at $9.35 - a meaningful $2.87 spread.
How many providers perform Ultrasound Measurement Of Bladder Capacity After Voiding?
Ultrasound Measurement Of Bladder Capacity After Voiding is a widely-performed procedure: 14.1K providers billed Medicare for it in 2023 across 54 states, together handling 1.9M services for 1.3M beneficiaries.
What is the billed-to-Medicare markup for Ultrasound Measurement Of Bladder Capacity After Voiding?
Providers bill 8.7x what Medicare pays for Ultrasound Measurement Of Bladder Capacity After Voiding - a higher-than-typical markup at 774% above the Medicare rate.
Related Guides
Tips to reduce out-of-pocket costs
Your right to upfront pricing
How Medicare payments work
Decode charges and codes
Why bills exceed actual costs
Geographic pricing factors
Data from CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners (2023).
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Every figure on PlainProcedure is rendered directly from CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.