Blood Glucose (sugar) Measurement Using Reagent Strip
What Medicare pays for 82948, what providers bill, and how the price varies across 43 states, drawn from CMS 2023 claims data.
82948 · the short answer
For blood glucose (sugar) measurement using reagent strip, Medicare pays about $4.90 on average across 43 states. This is a low-payment administrative or drug code, so the billed-to-paid ratio is not a meaningful "markup."
- Medicare pays
- $4.90
- Providers bill
- $15.55
- States with data
- 43
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: Blood Test 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.
Prices by State
| State | Medicare Payment | Billed Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $4.94 | $13.14 |
| Arizona | $4.94 | $35.22 |
| Colorado | $4.94 | $15.72 |
| District of Columbia | $4.94 | $20.65 |
| Iowa | $4.94 | $14.16 |
| Kansas | $4.94 | $11.72 |
| Minnesota | $4.94 | $15.37 |
| Missouri | $4.94 | $18.34 |
| Nevada | $4.94 | $23.28 |
| New Hampshire | $4.94 | $16.83 |
| New Mexico | $4.94 | $15.72 |
| Pennsylvania | $4.94 | $26.01 |
| Rhode Island | $4.94 | $14.92 |
| South Dakota | $4.94 | $37.61 |
| Utah | $4.94 | $10.44 |
| Vermont | $4.94 | $27.00 |
| Wyoming | $4.94 | $38.30 |
| Wisconsin | $4.94 | $33.53 |
| Illinois | $4.93 | $21.76 |
| Washington | $4.93 | $9.60 |
| Montana | $4.92 | $10.18 |
| Kentucky | $4.92 | $14.09 |
| Florida | $4.92 | $8.66 |
| Virginia | $4.92 | $12.54 |
| California | $4.91 | $12.54 |
| Massachusetts | $4.91 | $12.62 |
| Michigan | $4.91 | $19.49 |
| Texas | $4.91 | $14.25 |
| Oklahoma | $4.91 | $16.15 |
| Louisiana | $4.90 | $9.90 |
| New York | $4.90 | $31.70 |
| Idaho | $4.90 | $11.49 |
| North Carolina | $4.89 | $14.32 |
| New Jersey | $4.89 | $9.29 |
| Tennessee | $4.89 | $17.36 |
| Maryland | $4.89 | $24.39 |
| Arkansas | $4.88 | $31.50 |
| Georgia | $4.87 | $17.19 |
| Alabama | $4.87 | $8.85 |
| South Carolina | $4.86 | $17.39 |
| Mississippi | $4.83 | $18.04 |
| Nebraska | $4.61 | $23.45 |
| Alaska | $4.49 | $20.71 |
What the Data Says About Blood Glucose (sugar) Measurement Using Reagent Strip
Across 43 states with reporting providers, CPT code 82948 (Blood Glucose (sugar) Measurement Using Reagent Strip) shows a national average Medicare payment of $4.90 against an average billed charge of $15.55. That gap, a 3.2x markup, or 217% above the Medicare allowed amount, is not a meaningful ratio for this low-payment code, so treat the billed figure as a chargemaster reference point rather than a real-world price.
Blood Test procedures like this one saw 47.3K services billed to Medicare in 2023 by 2.6K distinct providers, serving 24.4K unique beneficiaries. State-level variation is significant: Alaska reports the lowest average payment at $4.49, while Oregon reports the highest at $4.94. At just 10%, this procedure prices remarkably consistently nationwide, GPCI adjustments barely move the needle for this particular code.
Applying RAND 2024 commercial-to-Medicare ratios specific to the Blood Test category (2.24x), the estimated commercial insurance price lands near $10.97, with self-pay cash discounts commonly bringing the figure closer to $7.95. Within Blood Test, Blood Glucose (sugar) Measurement Using Reagent Strip ranks #113 of 145 tracked procedures by national average Medicare payment.
What to do with this
If you may have blood glucose (sugar) measurement using reagent strip 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 blood glucose (sugar) measurement using reagent strip 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 Blood Glucose (sugar) Measurement Using Reagent Strip cost?
Blood Glucose (sugar) Measurement Using Reagent Strip (CPT 82948) is priced fairly consistently nationwide: Medicare pays $4.90 on average, and the $4.49-$4.94 state range stays relatively tight. Providers typically bill $15.55.
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 Blood Glucose (sugar) Measurement Using Reagent Strip cost with insurance?
With commercial insurance, blood glucose (sugar) measurement using reagent strip costs an estimated $10.97 on average (range: $7.68-$15.36), a moderate premium over Medicare's $4.90. Without insurance, the estimated cash price is $7.95.
Which state has the lowest cost for Blood Glucose (sugar) Measurement Using Reagent Strip?
Alaska and Oregon bookend the range for Blood Glucose (sugar) Measurement Using Reagent Strip, at $4.49 and $4.94 respectively - a relatively tight $0.45 spread nationwide.
How many providers perform Blood Glucose (sugar) Measurement Using Reagent Strip?
A moderate provider base performs Blood Glucose (sugar) Measurement Using Reagent Strip: 2.6K providers nationally, totaling 47.3K Medicare-billed services (24.4K beneficiaries) across 43 states in 2023.
What is the billed-to-Medicare markup for Blood Glucose (sugar) Measurement Using Reagent Strip?
Providers bill 3.2x what Medicare pays for Blood Glucose (sugar) Measurement Using Reagent Strip - a markup within the typical range at 217% 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.