Azithromycin 500 mg intravenous solution 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

$23.50

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.

$23.50

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.

$1.76 with HEALTH CHOICES vs $8.75 with IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH — 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
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $1.76 ↓ -93%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $1.76 ↓ -93%
BLUE CROSS - NM WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - ID WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - VT WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE SHIELD - WA (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - IL WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - VA (CAREFIRST) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - MD (CAREFIRST) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - ME (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - MN WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - NE WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - GA (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - AR WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - MT WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - RI WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - TN WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - FEDERAL WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - NC WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - IL ALTERNATE WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CARE NETWORK WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - AZ WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - HI WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE SHIELD - NY HIGHMARK NORTHEASTERN WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE BENEFIT ADMINISTRATORS OF MASSACHUSETTS WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - VA (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - UT (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE SHIELD - CA WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) WELLMARK HMO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - CA (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - AK (PREMERA) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - WV (HIGHMARK) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE DISTINCTION TRANSPLANT WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - DC (CAREFIRST) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - MA WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - WI (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - NH (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - CO (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - SD (WELLMARK) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - OR (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - NJ (HORIZON) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - PA (CAPITAL) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - OH (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - FL WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - PA (INDEPENDENCE) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - WY WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - KY (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - DE (HIGHMARK) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE SHIELD - ID (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - ND WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - KS WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - MO (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - AL WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - WA (PREMERA) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE SHIELD - NY HIGHMARK WESTERN WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - NY (EXCELLUS) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - IN (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE SHIELD - PA (HIGHMARK) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BCBS GENERIC WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - NV (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - OK WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - NY (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - CT (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - MS WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - LA WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - TX WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - SC WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - MI WELLMARK PPO $2.61 ↓ -89%
WEBTPA AETNA $3.04 ↓ -87%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $3.04 ↓ -87%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $3.04 ↓ -87%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $3.04 ↓ -87%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $3.04 ↓ -87%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $3.04 ↓ -87%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $3.04 ↓ -87%
AETNA AETNA $3.04 ↓ -87%
MERITAIN AETNA $3.04 ↓ -87%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $3.04 ↓ -87%
COVENTRY AETNA $3.04 ↓ -87%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $3.04 ↓ -87%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $3.04 ↓ -87%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $3.04 ↓ -87%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE OPTIONS $3.09 ↓ -87%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $3.09 ↓ -87%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $3.09 ↓ -87%
CIGNA CIGNA $5.25 ↓ -78%
CIGNA EAP CIGNA $5.25 ↓ -78%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $5.56 ↓ -76%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $5.69 ↓ -76%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $5.69 ↓ -76%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $5.69 ↓ -76%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $5.69 ↓ -76%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $7.26 ↓ -69%
USA MANAGED CARE USA MANAGED CARE $7.44 ↓ -68%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $8.75 ↓ -63%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $8.75 ↓ -63%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $8.75 ↓ -63%

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Azithromycin 500 mg intravenous solution at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines $79.92 $0.31 – $2.22
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $77.40 not published
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $9.20 $2.61 – $8.75
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $9.20 $2.61 – $8.75
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $9.20 $2.61 – $9.85
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $9.20 $2.48 – $8.75
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $23.50 $2.61 – $8.75
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $23.50 $2.06 – $14.80

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →