Blue Cross Blue Shield negotiated rates in Maryland
How Blue Cross Blue Shield's Maryland rates compare with the other three national payers, across the procedures that matter most to high-revenue specialties.
Blue Cross Blue Shield in Maryland at a glance
What the data shows
Blue Cross Blue Shield ranks 4th of 4 payers in Maryland with a rate index of 74 (100 = the Maryland market median), across 228 procedure codes.
Blue Cross Blue Shield has the highest median for only 0% of codes in Maryland; UnitedHealthcare leads with an index of 131 in the files analyzed.
Blue Cross Blue Shield's Maryland rates sit 37% below its own national level, the 51st highest of its 51 states.
Largest premium over the Maryland market: CPT 88342 (Imhchem/imcytchm 1st antb) at 115% of market; largest discount: CPT 77280 (Ther rad simulaj field smpl) at 15%.
In Maryland, BCBS rates come from 38 licensee file sets; the largest is Carefirst BCBS (679 sampled providers).
How the four payers compare in Maryland
| Payer | Index | Rank | Level | Highest on | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare | 131 | 1 | 63% | 606 | |
| Cigna | 110 | 2 | 13% | 723 | |
| Aetna | 101 | 3 | 24% | 645 | |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | 74 | 4 | 0% | 758 |
Where Blue Cross Blue Shield pays most and least against the Maryland market
Highest above market
| Code | BCBS | Market | Gap | Prov. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88342 Imhchem/imcytchm 1st antb | $103 | $89 | +15% | 98 |
| 93297 Rem interrog dev eval icpms | $60 | $56 | +7% | 102 |
| 99454 Rem mntr physiol param 16-30 | $58 | $58 | +0% | 181 |
| 96910 Photchmtx tar&uvb/ptrltm&uvb | $116 | $116 | +0% | 100 |
| 92235 Fluorescein angrph mltiframe | $145 | $145 | +0% | 91 |
| 88305 Tissue exam by pathologist | $64 | $64 | +0% | 197 |
| 92025 Cptrized corneal topography | $37 | $37 | +0% | 91 |
| 88313 Special stains group 2 | $66 | $66 | -0% | 99 |
Furthest below market
| Code | BCBS | Market | Gap | Prov. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77280 Ther rad simulaj field smpl | $36 | $240 | -85% | 98 |
| 92242 Fluorescein&icg angiography | $47 | $268 | -83% | 91 |
| 73610 X-ray exam of ankle | $8 | $46 | -83% | 91 |
| 93308 Tte f-up or lmtd | $23 | $114 | -80% | 102 |
| 77066 Dx mammo incl cad bi | $45 | $195 | -77% | 95 |
| 92273 Full field erg w/i&r | $30 | $117 | -74% | 90 |
| 71046 X-ray exam chest 2 views | $11 | $36 | -70% | 94 |
| 77049 Mri breast c-+ w/cad bi | $135 | $436 | -69% | 95 |
Where Blue Cross Blue Shield pays above and below its national level
Highest states
| State | Index | Prov. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 243 | 290 | |
| Wisconsin | 192 | 733 | |
| Minnesota | 171 | 671 | |
| North Dakota | 148 | 329 | |
| Wyoming | 145 | 256 |
Lowest states
| State | Index | Prov. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 63 | 758 | |
| Arizona | 66 | 479 | |
| Texas | 69 | 1,003 | |
| District of Columbia | 69 | 484 | |
| New Mexico | 74 | 562 |
Blue Cross Blue Shield licensees in Maryland
| Licensee file set | Sampled providers |
|---|---|
| Carefirst BCBS | 679 |
| Community Insurance Company | 164 |
| HealthKeepers, Inc. | 35 |
| Capital BC | 26 |
| Capital BlueCross | 26 |
| BCBS NC | 24 |
| BCBS TX | 24 |
| Healthy Alliance Life Insurance Company | 17 |
| Matthew Thornton Health Plan, Inc. | 16 |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts HMO Blue, Inc. | 13 |
| BCBS NJ (Horizon) | 12 |
| Horizon Healthcare of New Jersey | 12 |
| Anthem (Elevance) | 11 |
| BCBS IL | 11 |
| BCBS MN | 9 |
| Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Company | 6 |
| Compcare Health Services Insurance Corporation | 6 |
| BCBS MI | 6 |
| BS CA | 6 |
| BCBS MA | 6 |
| Wellmark | 5 |
| Excellus BCBS | 5 |
| Regence | 5 |
| BCBS KS | 4 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota | 4 |
| BCBS TN | 4 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming | 4 |
| BCBS RI | 4 |
| BCBS Kansas City | 3 |
| BCBS OK | 3 |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska | 2 |
| BCBS AL | 2 |
| BCBS NM | 2 |
| BCBS MT | 2 |
| HMO Colorado, Inc. | 1 |
| Premera | 1 |
| BCBS AZ | 1 |
| BCBS HI | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
Does Blue Cross Blue Shield pay more or less than the other payers in Maryland?
Blue Cross Blue Shield ranks 4th of 4 in Maryland with an index of 74. It is highest on 0% of codes.
Are Blue Cross Blue Shield's Maryland rates above or below its national level?
About 37% below.
Which procedure does Blue Cross Blue Shield pay most above market in Maryland?
CPT 88342 (Imhchem/imcytchm 1st antb), at 115% of the Maryland median.
Methodology
- Source: in-network negotiated-rate files published under the federal Transparency in Coverage rule, August 2026 snapshot: UnitedHealthcare Choice plans (74 files); Aetna commercial plans (70 files); Cigna national PPO (1 files); BCBS licensees' own-network files (5,387 files). Payer comparisons describe these files, not each payer's entire book of business.
- Sample: rates come from a random sample of up to 150 providers per state and specialty. Counts on this page are sampled providers and TINs, not totals.
- Which providers count: only providers in a specialty relevant to the code, because a rate in a payer file attaches to a provider group and is listed under every provider in that group.
- Filters: fee-for-service, professional billing class, no modifier, negotiated or fee-schedule dollar rates. Rates outside 1% to 1,000% of the Medicare rate are excluded.
- Statistic: one median rate per provider, then percentiles across providers. A cell is shown only with at least 15 sampled providers and 4 TINs.
- Medicare benchmark: CY2026 national physician fee schedule, non-QPP conversion factor, unadjusted for locality. Where the non-facility rate is more than twice the facility rate (office rates that include device or supply cost), the facility rate is used so comparisons are like for like.
Is your Blue Cross Blue Shield contract at market in Maryland?
Compare your negotiated rates for these codes with Maryland medians for each payer.