Brace ortho exos 28-50in sm 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

$243.55

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.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$374.69

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.

$59.75 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $366.09 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 $59.75 ↓ -75%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $60.33 ↓ -75%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $60.57 ↓ -75%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $73.22 ↓ -70%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $73.58 ↓ -70%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $73.58 ↓ -70%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $96.65 ↓ -60%
OSCAR OSCAR $98.84 ↓ -59%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $127.03 ↓ -48%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $127.03 ↓ -48%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $127.03 ↓ -48%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $127.03 ↓ -48%
AETNA AETNA $127.03 ↓ -48%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $127.03 ↓ -48%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $127.03 ↓ -48%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $127.03 ↓ -48%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $127.03 ↓ -48%
WEBTPA AETNA $127.03 ↓ -48%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $127.03 ↓ -48%
COVENTRY AETNA $127.03 ↓ -48%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $127.03 ↓ -48%
MERITAIN AETNA $127.03 ↓ -48%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE OPTIONS $203.18 ↓ -17%
CIGNA EAP CIGNA $219.65 ↓ -10%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $219.65 ↓ -10%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $219.65 ↓ -10%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $219.65 ↓ -10%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $219.65 ↓ -10%
CIGNA CIGNA $219.65 ↓ -10%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $232.47 ↓ -5%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $237.96 ↓ -2%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $237.96 ↓ -2%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $237.96 ↓ -2%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $237.96 ↓ -2%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $303.85 ↑ +25%
USA MANAGED CARE USA MANAGED CARE $311.18 ↑ +28%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $366.09 ↑ +50%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $366.09 ↑ +50%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $366.09 ↑ +50%

Visitor-reported prices

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Brace ortho exos 28-50in sm at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines not published $712.41 – $1,812.88
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $243.55 $70.95 – $366.09
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $303.35 $180.52 – $455.98
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $243.55 $138.38 – $412.07
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $243.55 $70.95 – $366.09
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $246.58 $139.92 – $366.09
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $243.55 $63.48 – $366.09
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $243.55 $188.43 – $382.64

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →