Ultrasound encephalogram 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

$385.14

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.

$917.00

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.

$100.97 with Amerigroup vs $779.45 with MultiPlan — 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
Amerigroup Medicaid|All Plans $100.97 ↓ -74%
Centene Medicaid|IA Total Care $100.97 ↓ -74%
IAMolina Medicaid|All Plans $102.95 ↓ -73%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $103.63 ↓ -73%
Medica Medicare|All Plans $103.63 ↓ -73%
United Medicare|All Plans $103.63 ↓ -73%
PACE Medicare|All Plans $103.63 ↓ -73%
BCBS - NE Medicare|All Plans $103.63 ↓ -73%
Todays Options Medicare|All Plans $105.70 ↓ -73%
Centene Medicare|All Plans $106.74 ↓ -72%
Amerigroup Medicare|All Plans $108.81 ↓ -72%
Great Plains Medicare|All Plans $108.81 ↓ -72%
Centene Medicaid|NE Total Care $137.55 ↓ -64%
Medica Commercial|ACO $155.32 ↓ -60%
Medica Commercial|CHI Health $218.49 ↓ -43%
Medica Commercial|All Other Plans $228.80 ↓ -41%
Creighton University Employees Commercial|All Plans $229.15 ↓ -41%
AMPS Commercial|All Plans $230.06 ↓ -40%
ELAP Commercial|All Plans $256.76 ↓ -33%
United Commercial|All Plans $283.73 ↓ -26%
Millard Public Schools Commercial|Narrow Network $399.27 ↑ +4%
One World Commercial|Narrow Network $399.27 ↑ +4%
Greater Omaha Packing Commercial|Narrow Network $399.27 ↑ +4%
United Medicaid|Community Plan $421.82 ↑ +10%
Millard Public Schools Commercial|Broad Network $459.16 ↑ +19%
One World Commercial|Broad Network $459.16 ↑ +19%
Timpte Commercial|Broad Network $459.16 ↑ +19%
Greater Omaha Packing Commercial|Broad Network $459.16 ↑ +19%
Midlands Choice Commercial|Premier $476.84 ↑ +24%
Medica Commercial|Open Access $476.84 ↑ +24%
QuikTrip Commercial|All Plans $550.20 ↑ +43%
PHCS Commercial|All Plans $651.07 ↑ +69%
Midlands Choice Commercial|Standard $687.75 ↑ +79%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $779.45 ↑ +102%

Visitor-reported prices

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Ultrasound encephalogram at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $342.60 $101.79 – $142.51
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $657.15 $93.79 – $1,011.00
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $329.55 $96.27 – $507.00
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $1,136.00 $98.68 – $1,136.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $738.40 $98.68 – $1,136.00
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City $451.10 $101.16 – $694.00
MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center Davenport $374.40 $101.79 – $142.51
MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo $471.25 $98.49 – $725.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →