Immunofixation electrophoresis serum 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

$176.80

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.

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

$272.00

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.

$21.64 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $272.00 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
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $21.64 ↓ -88%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $21.86 ↓ -88%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $21.89 ↓ -88%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $21.89 ↓ -88%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $21.89 ↓ -88%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $21.94 ↓ -88%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $22.11 ↓ -87%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $22.33 ↓ -87%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $22.34 ↓ -87%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $22.34 ↓ -87%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $22.56 ↓ -87%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $22.79 ↓ -87%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $29.71 ↓ -83%
OSCAR OSCAR $34.29 ↓ -81%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $37.08 ↓ -79%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $37.53 ↓ -79%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $44.90 ↓ -75%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $44.90 ↓ -75%
COVENTRY AETNA $60.78 ↓ -66%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $60.78 ↓ -66%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $60.78 ↓ -66%
AETNA EAP AETNA $60.78 ↓ -66%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $60.78 ↓ -66%
AETNA AETNA $60.78 ↓ -66%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $60.78 ↓ -66%
WEBTPA AETNA $60.78 ↓ -66%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $60.78 ↓ -66%
MERITAIN AETNA $60.78 ↓ -66%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $60.78 ↓ -66%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $60.78 ↓ -66%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $63.92 ↓ -64%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $63.92 ↓ -64%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $88.94 ↓ -50%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $193.12 ↑ +9%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $193.12 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $193.12 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $193.12 ↑ +9%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $193.12 ↑ +9%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $193.12 ↑ +9%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $247.52 ↑ +40%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $272.00 ↑ +54%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $272.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Immunofixation electrophoresis serum at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $155.40 $22.34 – $22.34
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $176.80 $11.29 – $272.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $155.35 $94.62 – $239.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $155.35 $90.34 – $269.02
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $152.10 $21.64 – $234.00
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $155.35 $91.35 – $239.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $155.35 $123.01 – $249.80
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $385.00 $21.64 – $385.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →