Assay of estrogen at CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs

800 Mercy Drive, Council Bluffs, IA · Chihealth · · NPI 1265517759

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Feb 28, 2026 · Ingested Sep 16, 2026

$208.74

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.

$497.00

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.

$74.55 with Centene vs $497.00 with Greater Omaha Packing — 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
Centene Medicaid|NE Total Care $74.55 ↓ -64%
Amerigroup Medicaid|All Plans $85.16 ↓ -59%
Centene Medicaid|IA Total Care $85.16 ↓ -59%
IAMolina Medicaid|All Plans $86.83 ↓ -58%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $87.88 ↓ -58%
Medica Medicare|All Plans $87.88 ↓ -58%
United Medicare|All Plans $87.88 ↓ -58%
PACE Medicare|All Plans $87.88 ↓ -58%
BCBS - NE Medicare|All Plans $87.88 ↓ -58%
Todays Options Medicare|All Plans $89.64 ↓ -57%
Centene Medicare|All Plans $90.52 ↓ -57%
Amerigroup Medicare|All Plans $92.27 ↓ -56%
Great Plains Medicare|All Plans $92.27 ↓ -56%
ELAP Commercial|All Plans $139.16 ↓ -33%
Medica Commercial|ACO $168.99 ↓ -19%
Medica Commercial|CHI Health $180.68 ↓ -13%
Medica Commercial|All Other Plans $189.21 ↓ -9%
AMPS Commercial|All Plans $195.09 ↓ -7%
Creighton University Employees Commercial|All Plans $207.63 ↓ -1%
United Medicaid|Community Plan $228.62 ↑ +10%
Medica Commercial|Open Access $258.44 ↑ +24%
Midlands Choice Commercial|Premier $258.44 ↑ +24%
United Commercial|All Plans $270.91 ↑ +30%
QuikTrip Commercial|All Plans $298.20 ↑ +43%
PHCS Commercial|All Plans $352.87 ↑ +69%
Midlands Choice Commercial|Standard $372.75 ↑ +79%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $422.45 ↑ +102%
Greater Omaha Packing Commercial|Narrow Network $440.64 ↑ +111%
One World Commercial|Narrow Network $440.64 ↑ +111%
Millard Public Schools Commercial|Narrow Network $440.64 ↑ +111%
One World Commercial|Broad Network $497.00 ↑ +138%
Millard Public Schools Commercial|Broad Network $497.00 ↑ +138%
Timpte Commercial|Broad Network $497.00 ↑ +138%
Greater Omaha Packing Commercial|Broad Network $497.00 ↑ +138%

Visitor-reported prices

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Assay of estrogen at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $361.20 $87.88 – $87.88
MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center Davenport $402.00 not published
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $185.60 $52.73 – $123.04
UnityPoint Health - Finley Hospital Dubuque $185.60 $3.50 – $213.44
UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Regional Medical Center Grinnell $185.60 $52.73 – $123.04
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines $185.60 $52.73 – $123.04
UnityPoint Health - Jones Regional Medical Center Anamosa $185.60 $52.73 – $123.30
UnityPoint Health - Marshalltown Marshalltown $185.60 $52.73 – $123.04

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →