Cytopathology cervical/vaginal thin layer manual screening 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

$131.95

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.

$203.00

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.

$19.64 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $203.00 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 $19.64 ↓ -85%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $19.83 ↓ -85%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $19.85 ↓ -85%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $19.85 ↓ -85%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $19.85 ↓ -85%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $19.90 ↓ -85%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $20.05 ↓ -85%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $20.25 ↓ -85%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $20.26 ↓ -85%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE OPTIONS $20.26 ↓ -85%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $20.26 ↓ -85%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $20.26 ↓ -85%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $20.67 ↓ -84%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $26.95 ↓ -80%
OSCAR OSCAR $28.79 ↓ -78%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $29.24 ↓ -78%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $34.04 ↓ -74%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $40.72 ↓ -69%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $40.72 ↓ -69%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $40.80 ↓ -69%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $40.80 ↓ -69%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $70.44 ↓ -47%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $70.44 ↓ -47%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $70.44 ↓ -47%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $70.44 ↓ -47%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $70.44 ↓ -47%
AETNA AETNA $70.44 ↓ -47%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $70.44 ↓ -47%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $70.44 ↓ -47%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $70.44 ↓ -47%
COVENTRY AETNA $70.44 ↓ -47%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $70.44 ↓ -47%
MERITAIN AETNA $70.44 ↓ -47%
WEBTPA AETNA $70.44 ↓ -47%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $70.44 ↓ -47%
CIGNA CIGNA $121.80 ↓ -8%
CIGNA EAP CIGNA $121.80 ↓ -8%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $128.91 ↓ -2%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $131.95 ↑ +0%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $131.95 ↑ +0%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $131.95 ↑ +0%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $131.95 ↑ +0%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $168.49 ↑ +28%
USA MANAGED CARE USA MANAGED CARE $172.55 ↑ +31%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $203.00 ↑ +54%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $203.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Cytopathology cervical/vaginal thin layer manual screening at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines $55.00 $18.01 – $31.51
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $83.85 $19.64 – $129.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $70.85 $20.26 – $109.00
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $70.85 $19.64 – $109.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $70.85 $20.26 – $113.93
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $109.00 $20.26 – $109.00
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City $182.65 $19.64 – $281.00
MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo $120.25 $19.64 – $131.35

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →