Cytopath tbs c/v manual 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

$91.00

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.

$91.00

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.

$18.19 with IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH vs $91.00 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 DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $18.19 ↓ -80%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $24.97 ↓ -73%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $25.06 ↓ -72%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $25.43 ↓ -72%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $25.55 ↓ -72%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $26.12 ↓ -71%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $26.39 ↓ -71%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $26.65 ↓ -71%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $26.92 ↓ -70%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $27.42 ↓ -70%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $27.97 ↓ -69%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $35.10 ↓ -61%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $44.34 ↓ -51%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $53.04 ↓ -42%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $53.04 ↓ -42%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $65.52 ↓ -28%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $65.52 ↓ -28%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $69.52 ↓ -24%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $69.52 ↓ -24%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $85.27 ↓ -6%
MERITAIN AETNA $85.27 ↓ -6%
AETNA AETNA $85.27 ↓ -6%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $85.27 ↓ -6%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $85.27 ↓ -6%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $85.27 ↓ -6%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $85.27 ↓ -6%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $85.27 ↓ -6%
COVENTRY AETNA $85.27 ↓ -6%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $85.27 ↓ -6%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $85.27 ↓ -6%
WEBTPA AETNA $85.27 ↓ -6%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $85.27 ↓ -6%
AETNA EAP AETNA $85.27 ↓ -6%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $85.27 ↓ -6%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $87.54 ↓ -4%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $89.18 ↓ -2%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $89.18 ↓ -2%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $89.18 ↓ -2%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $89.18 ↓ -2%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $89.18 ↓ -2%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $89.18 ↓ -2%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $91.00 ↑ +0%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $91.00 ↑ +0%

Visitor-reported prices

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Cytopath tbs c/v manual at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $98.00 $17.31 – $98.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $63.70 $17.31 – $98.00
MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton $59.15 $17.96 – $91.00
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City $53.95 $17.31 – $83.00
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $36.80 $15.12 – $23.09
UnityPoint Health - Finley Hospital Dubuque $36.80 $3.50 – $42.32
UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Regional Medical Center Grinnell $36.80 $15.12 – $23.09
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines $36.80 $15.12 – $23.09

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →