Immunofixation electrophoresis serum at UnityPoint Health - St. Luke's Hospital

1026 A Avenue N.E, Cedar Rapids, IA · UnityPoint Health · · NPI 1083708226

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Jan 28, 2026 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$48.57

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.

$60.71

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.

$10.94 with United Healthcare vs $41.33 with Aetna — 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
United Healthcare HMO $10.94 ↓ -77%
United Healthcare PPO $10.94 ↓ -77%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $16.55 ↓ -66%
Molina Medicare Advantage $16.88 ↓ -65%
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicare Advantage $16.88 ↓ -65%
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage $17.38 ↓ -64%
Amerivantage Medicare Advantage $17.38 ↓ -64%
Humana Medicare Advantage $17.38 ↓ -64%
Medica Exchange Inspire Commercial $20.28 ↓ -58%
Cigna/Midlands Commercial $21.39 ↓ -56%
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield PPO $22.34 ↓ -54%
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMO $22.34 ↓ -54%
Wellmark UHP Self-Funded Commercial $22.34 ↓ -54%
Medica Exchange Insure Commercial $22.77 ↓ -53%
Health Partners Open Network Commercial $34.77 ↓ -28%
Aetna PPO $41.33 ↓ -15%
Aetna HMO $41.33 ↓ -15%
Amerigroup Managed Medicaid not published by hospital
Iowa Total Care Managed Medicaid not published by hospital

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 Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $176.80 $21.64 – $272.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $155.35 $123.01 – $249.80

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →