Smear fluorescent and/or acid fast stain at MercyOne Clinton Medical Center

1410 N. Fourth St, Clinton, IA · MercyOne · · NPI 1427093962

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

$61.75

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.

$95.00

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.

$5.22 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $95.00 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
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $5.22 ↓ -92%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $5.27 ↓ -91%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $5.28 ↓ -91%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $5.28 ↓ -91%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $5.28 ↓ -91%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $5.29 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $5.34 ↓ -91%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $5.39 ↓ -91%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $5.39 ↓ -91%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $5.39 ↓ -91%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $5.50 ↓ -91%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $7.17 ↓ -88%
OSCAR OSCAR $7.35 ↓ -88%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $9.06 ↓ -85%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $10.83 ↓ -82%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $10.83 ↓ -82%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $26.89 ↓ -56%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $26.89 ↓ -56%
PREFERRED HEALTH CHOICE PREFERRED HEALTH CHOICES $27.46 ↓ -56%
THE ALLIANCE THE ALLIANCE $57.62 ↓ -7%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $83.13 ↑ +35%
WEBTPA AETNA $83.13 ↑ +35%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $83.13 ↑ +35%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $83.13 ↑ +35%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $83.13 ↑ +35%
COVENTRY AETNA $83.13 ↑ +35%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $83.13 ↑ +35%
MERITAIN AETNA $83.13 ↑ +35%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $83.13 ↑ +35%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $83.13 ↑ +35%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $83.13 ↑ +35%
AETNA AETNA $83.13 ↑ +35%
AETNA EAP AETNA $83.13 ↑ +35%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $83.13 ↑ +35%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $83.13 ↑ +35%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $83.32 ↑ +35%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $85.50 ↑ +38%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $85.50 ↑ +38%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $85.50 ↑ +38%
QUALCARE QCCH $85.50 ↑ +38%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $85.50 ↑ +38%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $85.50 ↑ +38%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $85.50 ↑ +38%
MULTIPLAN MULTIPLAN $85.50 ↑ +38%
USA MANAGED CARE USA MANAGED CARE $90.25 ↑ +46%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $95.00 ↑ +54%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $95.00 ↑ +54%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $95.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Smear fluorescent and/or acid fast stain at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $142.80 $5.39 – $5.39
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $61.75 $5.22 – $95.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $50.70 $5.34 – $78.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $50.70 $5.34 – $87.80
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $24.05 $5.22 – $37.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $50.70 $5.34 – $81.53
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $239.00 $5.22 – $103.00
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $78.00 $21.40 – $78.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →