Asp core fat pad at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center

1111 6th Ave, Des Moines, IA · MercyOne · Nonprofit · NPI 1234567893

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

$3,565.90

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.

$5,486.00

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.

$189.38 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $5,486.00 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 TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $189.38 ↓ -95%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $189.91 ↓ -95%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $189.91 ↓ -95%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $189.91 ↓ -95%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $191.23 ↓ -95%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $191.81 ↓ -95%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $191.97 ↓ -95%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $193.71 ↓ -95%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $197.66 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - ME (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - MN WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - NE WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - OH (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - FL WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - PA (INDEPENDENCE) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - WY WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - KY (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - DE (HIGHMARK) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE SHIELD - ID (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - PA (CAPITAL) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - AR WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - NM WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - ID WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - VT WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE SHIELD - WA (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - IL WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - VA (CAREFIRST) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - MD (CAREFIRST) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - MS WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - LA WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - TX WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - SC WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - MI WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - MT WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - RI WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - TN WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - FEDERAL WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - NC WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - IL ALTERNATE WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CARE NETWORK WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - AZ WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - HI WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE SHIELD - NY HIGHMARK NORTHEASTERN WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - GA (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - VA (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - UT (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE SHIELD - CA WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) WELLMARK HMO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - CA (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - AK (PREMERA) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - WV (HIGHMARK) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE DISTINCTION TRANSPLANT WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - DC (CAREFIRST) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - MA WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - WI (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - NH (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - CO (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - SD (WELLMARK) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - OR (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - NJ (HORIZON) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE BENEFIT ADMINISTRATORS OF MASSACHUSETTS WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - ND WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - KS WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - MO (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - AL WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - WA (PREMERA) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE SHIELD - NY HIGHMARK WESTERN WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - NY (EXCELLUS) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - IN (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE SHIELD - PA (HIGHMARK) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BCBS GENERIC WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - NV (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - OK WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - NY (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
BLUE CROSS - CT (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $204.98 ↓ -94%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $257.74 ↓ -93%
OSCAR OSCAR $275.37 ↓ -92%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $279.64 ↓ -92%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $325.56 ↓ -91%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $389.51 ↓ -89%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $389.51 ↓ -89%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $1,102.69 ↓ -69%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $1,102.69 ↓ -69%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $1,903.64 ↓ -47%
WEBTPA AETNA $1,903.64 ↓ -47%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $1,903.64 ↓ -47%
AETNA AETNA $1,903.64 ↓ -47%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $1,903.64 ↓ -47%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $1,903.64 ↓ -47%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $1,903.64 ↓ -47%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $1,903.64 ↓ -47%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $1,903.64 ↓ -47%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $1,903.64 ↓ -47%
COVENTRY AETNA $1,903.64 ↓ -47%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $1,903.64 ↓ -47%
MERITAIN AETNA $1,903.64 ↓ -47%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $1,903.64 ↓ -47%
CIGNA EAP CIGNA $3,291.60 ↓ -8%
CIGNA CIGNA $3,291.60 ↓ -8%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $3,483.61 ↓ -2%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $3,565.90 ↑ +0%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $3,565.90 ↑ +0%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $3,565.90 ↑ +0%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $3,565.90 ↑ +0%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $4,553.38 ↑ +28%
USA MANAGED CARE USA MANAGED CARE $4,663.10 ↑ +31%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $5,486.00 ↑ +54%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $5,486.00 ↑ +54%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $5,486.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Asp core fat pad at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines $606.85 $189.16 – $328.46
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $373.76 $164.70 – $302.28
UnityPoint Health - Marshalltown Marshalltown $373.76 $163.52 – $372.83
UnityPoint Health - St. Lukes Downtown Sioux City $2,121.44 $175.98 – $1,723.67
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Bettendorf Bettendorf $388.07 $169.78 – $293.12
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Muscatine Muscatine $388.07 $111.57 – $7,680.75
UnityPoint Health - Trinity Regional Medical Center Fort Dodge $439.09 $169.36 – $466.53
CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs Council Bluffs $154.56 $55.20 – $312.80

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →