Assess cyst contrast inject 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

$6,044.40

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.

$1,945.00

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.

$390.95 with MEDICAL ASSOCIATES vs $1,945.00 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
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $390.95 ↓ -94%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $390.95 ↓ -94%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $515.76 ↓ -91%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $517.21 ↓ -91%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $517.21 ↓ -91%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $517.21 ↓ -91%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $520.81 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $522.39 ↓ -91%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $522.83 ↓ -91%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $527.56 ↓ -91%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $538.32 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - DC (CAREFIRST) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - DE (HIGHMARK) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - FEDERAL WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - FL WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - GA (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - HI WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) WELLMARK HMO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - ID WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - IL WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - IL ALTERNATE WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - IN (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - KS WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - KY (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - LA WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - MA WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - MD (CAREFIRST) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - ME (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - MI WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - MN WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - MO (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - MS WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - MT WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - NC WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - ND WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - NE WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - NH (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - NJ (HORIZON) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - NM WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - NV (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - NY (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - NY (EXCELLUS) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - OH (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - OK WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - OR (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - PA (CAPITAL) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - PA (INDEPENDENCE) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - RI WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - SC WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - SD (WELLMARK) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - TN WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - TX WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - UT (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - VA (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - VA (CAREFIRST) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - VT WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - WA (PREMERA) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - WI (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - WV (HIGHMARK) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - WY WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE DISTINCTION TRANSPLANT WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE SHIELD - CA WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE SHIELD - ID (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE SHIELD - NY HIGHMARK NORTHEASTERN WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE SHIELD - NY HIGHMARK WESTERN WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE SHIELD - PA (HIGHMARK) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE SHIELD - WA (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BCBS GENERIC WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE BENEFIT ADMINISTRATORS OF MASSACHUSETTS WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CARE NETWORK WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - AK (PREMERA) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - AL WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - AR WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - AZ WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - CA (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - CO (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - CT (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $558.25 ↓ -91%
AETNA AETNA $674.92 ↓ -89%
COVENTRY AETNA $674.92 ↓ -89%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $674.92 ↓ -89%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $674.92 ↓ -89%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $674.92 ↓ -89%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $674.92 ↓ -89%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $674.92 ↓ -89%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $674.92 ↓ -89%
MERITAIN AETNA $674.92 ↓ -89%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $674.92 ↓ -89%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $674.92 ↓ -89%
WEBTPA AETNA $674.92 ↓ -89%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $674.92 ↓ -89%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $674.92 ↓ -89%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $701.93 ↓ -88%
OSCAR OSCAR $749.96 ↓ -88%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $761.57 ↓ -87%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $886.65 ↓ -85%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $1,060.82 ↓ -82%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $1,060.82 ↓ -82%
CIGNA CIGNA $1,167.00 ↓ -81%
CIGNA EAP CIGNA $1,167.00 ↓ -81%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $1,235.08 ↓ -80%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $1,264.25 ↓ -79%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $1,264.25 ↓ -79%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $1,264.25 ↓ -79%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $1,264.25 ↓ -79%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $1,614.35 ↓ -73%
USA MANAGED CARE USA MANAGED CARE $1,653.25 ↓ -73%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $1,945.00 ↓ -68%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $1,945.00 ↓ -68%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $1,945.00 ↓ -68%

Visitor-reported prices

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Assess cyst contrast inject at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines $696.36 $33.30 – $255.91
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $1,945.00 $390.95 – $1,945.00
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City $2,062.90 $202.75 – $1,183.80
MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo $2,424.00 $238.29 – $3,576.15
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $467.20 $33.30 – $307.76
UnityPoint Health - Finley Hospital Dubuque $466.93 $33.30 – $466.93
UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Regional Medical Center Grinnell $412.00 $33.30 – $88.93
UnityPoint Health - Jones Regional Medical Center Anamosa $412.00 $33.30 – $88.93

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →