Diffusing capacity at MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center

515 College St, Cedar Falls, IA · MercyOne · · NPI 1942241955

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 31, 2026 · Ingested Aug 3, 2026

$120.90

Cash price

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Discounted cash price

What a hospital charges a self-pay patient who pays directly, without going through insurance — usually well below the gross charge.

Example: A CT scan has a $3,200 gross charge but an $850 discounted cash price. Ask for it by name when scheduling — hospitals don't always advertise it up front.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$186.00

Gross charge

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Gross charge (chargemaster price)

The hospital's full, undiscounted list price — pulled from its internal "chargemaster" price list. Almost no one actually pays this.

Example: A chest X-ray has a gross charge of $1,450. The same hospital's discounted cash price for the same X-ray is $180 — the gross charge mostly anchors negotiations, not what patients pay.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$43.71 with HEALTH CHOICES vs $791.00 with UNITED HEALTHCARE — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
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Negotiated rate

The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.

Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.

Full explanation →

Payer
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Payer

The insurance company footing the bill — Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare, and so on.

Example: "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is the payer. Its negotiated rate for an MRI might be $904, while a different payer's negotiated rate for the same scan is $1,509.

Full explanation →
Plan
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Plan

The specific product an insurer sells — e.g. "Blue Cross PPO 500" — which sets your deductible, coinsurance and negotiated rates.

Example: Two people both insured by Aetna can owe very different amounts for the same MRI: $50 with an HMO plan's flat copay, or the full $1,200 toward a high-deductible PPO plan's unmet deductible.

Full explanation →
Negotiated rate vs. cash
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $43.71 ↓ -64%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $43.71 ↓ -64%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $60.82 ↓ -50%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $132.06 ↑ +9%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $132.06 ↑ +9%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $132.06 ↑ +9%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $132.06 ↑ +9%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $132.06 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $132.06 ↑ +9%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $169.26 ↑ +40%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $186.00 ↑ +54%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $186.00 ↑ +54%
AETNA EAP AETNA $268.41 ↑ +122%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $268.41 ↑ +122%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $268.41 ↑ +122%
AETNA AETNA $268.41 ↑ +122%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $268.41 ↑ +122%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $268.41 ↑ +122%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $268.41 ↑ +122%
COVENTRY AETNA $268.41 ↑ +122%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $268.41 ↑ +122%
MERITAIN AETNA $268.41 ↑ +122%
WEBTPA AETNA $268.41 ↑ +122%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $268.41 ↑ +122%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $791.00 ↑ +554%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $791.00 ↑ +554%

Visitor-reported prices

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Diffusing capacity at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $184.80 not published
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $239.20 $131.38 – $368.00
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $18.00 $5.93 – $18.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $276.25 $5.93 – $425.00
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $548.00 $5.92 – $548.00
MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton $356.20 $5.93 – $548.00
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City $178.10 $5.54 – $274.00
MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center Davenport $165.00 not published

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →