Price Checker / CPT 97018
CPT 97018 — Paraffin bath therapy
2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rates and hospital pricing data
$6
What Medicare pays in a hospital/ASC setting
$6
What Medicare pays in a physician's office
$204
Based on 166 hospital(s) in our database
What do these numbers mean?
The Medicare rateis what the federal government determines is a fair payment for this procedure. It's based on the Relative Value Unit (RVU) system, which accounts for physician work, practice expense, and malpractice cost. Hospitals and providers often charge 3-20x this amount. If your bill is significantly higher than the Medicare rate, you may have grounds to negotiate.
Hospital Charges for CPT 97018
From hospital-published transparency (MRF) files. These are the hospitals in our database that list this procedure.
| Hospital | Gross Charge | Cash Rate | vs Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|
| HealthSource Saginaw , MI | — | — | 29850% |
| HealthSource Saginaw , MI | — | — | 29850% |
| Baptist Health Walker Hospital , AL | — | — | 28353% |
| Baptist Health Shelby Hospital , AL | — | — | 27787% |
| The Medical Center , KY | $1,622 | — | 26888% |
| Stonewall Jackson Hospital , WV | — | — | 26621% |
| Penn State Health Rehabilitation Hospital , PA | $82 | — | 15957% |
| Rehabilitation Hospital of Indana , IN | $758 | $432 | 12512% |
| Hillcrest Hospital Claremore , OK | $575 | $172 | 9461% |
| Vaughan Regional Medical Center Parkway Campus , AL | $536 | $188 | 8819% |
| Rehabilitation Hospital of Rhode Island , RI | $498 | $498 | 8186% |
| St. Catherine Hospital - Dodge City , KS | $436 | $174 | 7150% |
| St. Catherine Hospital - Garden City , KS | $436 | $174 | 7150% |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center , IL | $348 | $348 | 5688% |
| MEDICAL CITY MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER - ALLIANCE FORT WORTH, TX | $337 | — | 5513% |
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About CPT 97018
CPT code 97018 refers to “Paraffin bath therapy”. Under the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, this procedure is reimbursed at $6 in a facility (hospital or ambulatory surgery center) and $6in a non-facility (physician's office) setting.
These rates are set by CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) and represent what the government considers a fair payment for this service. While commercial insurance typically pays somewhat more than Medicare, many hospitals charge significantly higher amounts — sometimes 10-50x the Medicare rate.
What to do if you were overcharged
- Upload your bill— we'll identify this code and compare it against the rates shown above.
- Get a dispute letter— citing the Medicare rate and your hospital's own published pricing data.
- Negotiate or let us handle it — 25% of savings, no savings = no fee.