Collar cerv 18.25x3.5in serp firm density 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

$44.47

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.

$68.41

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.

$0.39 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $2.36 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 $0.39 ↓ -99%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $0.39 ↓ -99%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $0.39 ↓ -99%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $0.47 ↓ -99%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $0.47 ↓ -99%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $0.47 ↓ -99%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $0.62 ↓ -99%
OSCAR OSCAR $0.64 ↓ -99%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $0.82 ↓ -98%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $0.82 ↓ -98%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $0.82 ↓ -98%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $0.82 ↓ -98%
AETNA AETNA $0.82 ↓ -98%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $0.82 ↓ -98%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $0.82 ↓ -98%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $0.82 ↓ -98%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $0.82 ↓ -98%
WEBTPA AETNA $0.82 ↓ -98%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $0.82 ↓ -98%
COVENTRY AETNA $0.82 ↓ -98%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $0.82 ↓ -98%
MERITAIN AETNA $0.82 ↓ -98%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE OPTIONS $1.31 ↓ -97%
CIGNA EAP CIGNA $1.42 ↓ -97%
CIGNA CIGNA $1.42 ↓ -97%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $1.42 ↓ -97%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $1.42 ↓ -97%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $1.42 ↓ -97%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $1.42 ↓ -97%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $1.50 ↓ -97%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $1.53 ↓ -97%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $1.53 ↓ -97%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $1.53 ↓ -97%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $1.53 ↓ -97%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $1.96 ↓ -96%
USA MANAGED CARE USA MANAGED CARE $2.01 ↓ -95%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $2.36 ↓ -95%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $2.36 ↓ -95%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $2.36 ↓ -95%

Visitor-reported prices

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Collar cerv 18.25x3.5in serp firm density sm at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines $80.00 $3.48 – $41.86
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $78.00 not published
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $44.47 $0.46 – $2.36
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $52.78 $3.74 – $9.44
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $44.47 $0.89 – $2.66
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $44.47 $0.46 – $2.36
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $44.47 $0.90 – $2.36
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $44.47 $0.41 – $2.36

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →