Surgical pathology level 5 gross & microscopic examination 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

$494.00

Cash price

?

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.

$494.00

Gross charge

?

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.

$135.55 with MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS vs $494.00 with UNITED HEALTHCARE — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
?

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
?

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 $135.55 ↓ -73%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $136.05 ↓ -72%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $138.05 ↓ -72%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $138.72 ↓ -72%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $141.78 ↓ -71%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $143.26 ↓ -71%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $144.69 ↓ -71%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $146.13 ↓ -70%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $148.84 ↓ -70%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $151.86 ↓ -69%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $183.41 ↓ -63%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $190.54 ↓ -61%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $240.68 ↓ -51%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $287.95 ↓ -42%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $287.95 ↓ -42%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $355.68 ↓ -28%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $355.68 ↓ -28%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $377.42 ↓ -24%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $377.42 ↓ -24%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $462.88 ↓ -6%
MERITAIN AETNA $462.88 ↓ -6%
AETNA AETNA $462.88 ↓ -6%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $462.88 ↓ -6%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $462.88 ↓ -6%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $462.88 ↓ -6%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $462.88 ↓ -6%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $462.88 ↓ -6%
COVENTRY AETNA $462.88 ↓ -6%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $462.88 ↓ -6%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $462.88 ↓ -6%
WEBTPA AETNA $462.88 ↓ -6%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $462.88 ↓ -6%
AETNA EAP AETNA $462.88 ↓ -6%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $462.88 ↓ -6%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $475.23 ↓ -4%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $484.12 ↓ -2%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $484.12 ↓ -2%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $484.12 ↓ -2%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $484.12 ↓ -2%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $484.12 ↓ -2%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $484.12 ↓ -2%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $494.00 ↑ +0%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $494.00 ↑ +0%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Surgical pathology level 5 gross & microscopic examination at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $98.40 $96.20 – $344.33
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $321.10 $195.57 – $494.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $321.10 $186.73 – $556.05
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $427.05 $161.59 – $767.06
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $780.00 $183.41 – $852.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $321.10 $183.41 – $516.33
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $716.00 $143.92 – $716.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $465.40 $143.92 – $716.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →