UnitedHealthcare negotiated rates in Louisiana
How UnitedHealthcare's Louisiana rates compare with the other three national payers, across the procedures that matter most to high-revenue specialties.
UnitedHealthcare in Louisiana at a glance
What the data shows
UnitedHealthcare ranks 1st of 4 payers in Louisiana with a rate index of 106 (100 = the Louisiana market median), across 228 procedure codes.
UnitedHealthcare has the highest median for 54% of codes in Louisiana.
UnitedHealthcare's Louisiana rates sit 17% below its own national level, the 48th highest of its 51 states.
Largest premium over the Louisiana market: CPT 43255 (Egd control bleeding any) at 230% of market; largest discount: CPT 88313 (Special stains group 2) at 65%.
How the four payers compare in Louisiana
| Payer | Index | Rank | Level | Highest on | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare | 106 | 1 | 54% | 808 | |
| Aetna | 96 | 2 | 25% | 832 | |
| Cigna | 95 | 3 | 13% | 837 | |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | 92 | 4 | 15% | 203 |
Where UnitedHealthcare pays most and least against the Louisiana market
Highest above market
| Code | UHC | Market | Gap | Prov. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43255 Egd control bleeding any | $949 | $412 | +130% | 111 |
| 52224 Cystoscopy and treatment | $854 | $421 | +103% | 96 |
| 52648 Laser surgery of prostate | $2,447 | $1,231 | +99% | 97 |
| 64566 Neuroeltrd stim post tibial | $119 | $63 | +88% | 96 |
| 11104 Punch bx skin single lesion | $125 | $68 | +83% | 121 |
| 11102 Tangntl bx skin single les | $100 | $55 | +82% | 121 |
| 52332 Cystoscopy and treatment | $561 | $318 | +76% | 97 |
| 51700 Irrigation of bladder | $110 | $65 | +71% | 97 |
Furthest below market
| Code | UHC | Market | Gap | Prov. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88313 Special stains group 2 | $50 | $76 | -35% | 111 |
| 70450 Ct head/brain w/o dye | $150 | $198 | -25% | 89 |
| 72148 Mri lumbar spine w/o dye | $276 | $359 | -23% | 181 |
| 73221 Mri joint upr extrem w/o dye | $292 | $375 | -22% | 181 |
| 73721 Mri jnt of lwr extre w/o dye | $291 | $373 | -22% | 181 |
| 71250 Ct thorax dx c- | $209 | $259 | -20% | 89 |
| 72141 Mri neck spine w/o dye | $305 | $378 | -19% | 89 |
| 72131 Ct lumbar spine w/o dye | $205 | $253 | -19% | 89 |
Where UnitedHealthcare pays above and below its national level
Frequently asked questions
Does UnitedHealthcare pay more or less than the other payers in Louisiana?
UnitedHealthcare ranks 1st of 4 in Louisiana with an index of 106. It is highest on 54% of codes.
Are UnitedHealthcare's Louisiana rates above or below its national level?
About 17% below.
Which procedure does UnitedHealthcare pay most above market in Louisiana?
CPT 43255 (Egd control bleeding any), at 230% of the Louisiana 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 UnitedHealthcare contract at market in Louisiana?
Compare your negotiated rates for these codes with Louisiana medians for each payer.