Affinity, Per Square Centimeter
What Medicare pays for Q4159, what providers bill, and how the price varies across 37 states, drawn from CMS 2023 claims data.
Q4159 · the short answer
For affinity, per square centimeter, Medicare pays about $323.80 while providers bill $979.15 on average, a 3.0× markup, one of the smaller markups in the catalog. State-level Medicare rates range 13% from lowest to highest.
- Medicare pays
- $323.80
- Providers bill
- $979.15
- Markup
- 3.0×
- Markup percentile
- 18th
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: Temporary Codes 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
3 more affordable than 18% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $345.84 | $1,372.11 |
| Louisiana | $345.34 | $872.42 |
| North Carolina | $335.77 | $1,224.00 |
| Michigan | $333.92 | $927.97 |
| Nebraska | $332.88 | $1,017.75 |
| Texas | $332.03 | $1,667.27 |
| Georgia | $331.89 | $1,089.77 |
| Arkansas | $331.31 | $773.72 |
| Alabama | $331.31 | $987.94 |
| West Virginia | $331.22 | $1,062.23 |
| Connecticut | $330.74 | $1,090.35 |
| Oklahoma | $330.48 | $1,098.66 |
| Virginia | $330.18 | $975.94 |
| Colorado | $327.42 | $924.08 |
| Illinois | $327.36 | $973.60 |
| Wisconsin | $326.82 | $1,014.11 |
| South Carolina | $326.52 | $1,064.54 |
| Missouri | $325.88 | $808.77 |
| Pennsylvania | $325.88 | $1,043.75 |
| New Jersey | $325.50 | $991.40 |
| Iowa | $324.28 | $945.49 |
| New York | $324.02 | $1,001.25 |
| Utah | $322.95 | $1,304.41 |
| Ohio | $321.15 | $714.57 |
| Minnesota | $320.61 | $958.93 |
| Washington | $320.52 | $875.56 |
| California | $320.32 | $805.80 |
| Florida | $320.20 | $952.50 |
| Tennessee | $318.91 | $862.78 |
| Nevada | $318.80 | $837.15 |
| Mississippi | $317.68 | $647.48 |
| Maryland | $316.82 | $1,079.06 |
| Oregon | $316.60 | $1,044.64 |
| Kansas | $316.22 | $908.64 |
| Indiana | $313.10 | $913.30 |
| Kentucky | $312.72 | $820.50 |
| Arizona | $305.63 | $735.91 |
What the Data Says About Affinity, Per Square Centimeter
Across 37 states with reporting providers, CPT code Q4159 (Affinity, Per Square Centimeter) shows a national average Medicare payment of $323.80 against an average billed charge of $979.15. That gap, a 3.0x markup, or 202% above the Medicare allowed amount, is among the tightest billed-to-paid spreads we track, this code's chargemaster rate tracks unusually close to the Medicare benchmark.
Temporary Codes procedures like this one saw 122.3K services billed to Medicare in 2023 by 1.2K distinct providers, serving 3.0K unique beneficiaries. State-level variation is significant: Arizona reports the lowest average payment at $305.63, while Massachusetts reports the highest at $345.84. At just 13%, 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 Temporary Codes category (2.24x), the estimated commercial insurance price lands near $910.54, with self-pay cash discounts commonly bringing the figure closer to $574.13. Within Temporary Codes, Affinity, Per Square Centimeter ranks #58 of 180 tracked procedures by national average Medicare payment.
What to do with this
If you may have affinity, per square centimeter 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 affinity, per square centimeter 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 Affinity, Per Square Centimeter cost?
Affinity, Per Square Centimeter (CPT Q4159) is priced fairly consistently nationwide: Medicare pays $323.80 on average, and the $305.63-$345.84 state range stays relatively tight. Providers typically bill $979.15.
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 Affinity, Per Square Centimeter cost with insurance?
With commercial insurance, affinity, per square centimeter costs an estimated $910.54 on average (range: $637.38-$1,274.76), a moderate premium over Medicare's $323.80. Without insurance, the estimated cash price is $574.13.
Which state has the lowest cost for Affinity, Per Square Centimeter?
Arizona and Massachusetts bookend the range for Affinity, Per Square Centimeter, at $305.63 and $345.84 respectively - a relatively tight $40.21 spread nationwide.
How many providers perform Affinity, Per Square Centimeter?
A moderate provider base performs Affinity, Per Square Centimeter: 1.2K providers nationally, totaling 122.3K Medicare-billed services (3.0K beneficiaries) across 37 states in 2023.
What is the billed-to-Medicare markup for Affinity, Per Square Centimeter?
Providers bill 3.0x what Medicare pays for Affinity, Per Square Centimeter - one of the smaller markups in the catalog at 202% 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.