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Alpha-fetoprotein tumor marker at MercyOne Centerville Medical Center

1 Saint Joseph Dr, Centerville, IA · MercyOne · · NPI 1356391635

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

$199.00

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.

$199.00

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.

$54.61 with MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS vs $199.00 with CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE — 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
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $54.61 ↓ -73%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $54.80 ↓ -72%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $55.61 ↓ -72%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $55.88 ↓ -72%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $57.11 ↓ -71%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $57.71 ↓ -71%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $58.29 ↓ -71%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $58.86 ↓ -70%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $59.96 ↓ -70%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $61.17 ↓ -69%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $76.75 ↓ -61%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $96.95 ↓ -51%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $116.00 ↓ -42%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $116.00 ↓ -42%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $143.28 ↓ -28%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $143.28 ↓ -28%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $152.04 ↓ -24%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $152.04 ↓ -24%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $186.46 ↓ -6%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $186.46 ↓ -6%
WEBTPA AETNA $186.46 ↓ -6%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $186.46 ↓ -6%
AETNA AETNA $186.46 ↓ -6%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $186.46 ↓ -6%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $186.46 ↓ -6%
AETNA EAP AETNA $186.46 ↓ -6%
COVENTRY AETNA $186.46 ↓ -6%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $186.46 ↓ -6%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $186.46 ↓ -6%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $186.46 ↓ -6%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $186.46 ↓ -6%
MERITAIN AETNA $186.46 ↓ -6%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $186.46 ↓ -6%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $191.44 ↓ -4%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $195.02 ↓ -2%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $195.02 ↓ -2%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $195.02 ↓ -2%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $195.02 ↓ -2%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $195.02 ↓ -2%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $195.02 ↓ -2%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $199.00 ↑ +0%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $199.00 ↑ +0%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $199.00 ↑ +0%

Visitor-reported prices

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Alpha-fetoprotein tumor marker at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $132.60 $16.77 – $16.77
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $261.30 $16.25 – $184.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $129.35 $78.78 – $199.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $129.35 $75.22 – $223.99
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $155.35 $16.25 – $184.00
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $129.35 $76.06 – $199.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $198.90 $16.25 – $306.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $1,956.00 $9.09 – $207.99

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →