Mayo dipstick analyte single step qualitative/semiqualitative synovial fluid 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

$848.25

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.

$1,305.00

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.

$9.34 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $1,305.00 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
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $9.34 ↓ -99%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $9.43 ↓ -99%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $9.45 ↓ -99%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $9.45 ↓ -99%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $9.45 ↓ -99%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $9.47 ↓ -99%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $9.54 ↓ -99%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $9.64 ↓ -99%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $9.64 ↓ -99%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE OPTIONS $9.64 ↓ -99%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $9.64 ↓ -99%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $9.83 ↓ -99%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $12.82 ↓ -98%
OSCAR OSCAR $13.70 ↓ -98%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $13.91 ↓ -98%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $16.20 ↓ -98%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $19.38 ↓ -98%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $19.38 ↓ -98%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $262.31 ↓ -69%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $262.31 ↓ -69%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $452.84 ↓ -47%
COVENTRY AETNA $452.84 ↓ -47%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $452.84 ↓ -47%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $452.84 ↓ -47%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $452.84 ↓ -47%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $452.84 ↓ -47%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $452.84 ↓ -47%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $452.84 ↓ -47%
MERITAIN AETNA $452.84 ↓ -47%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $452.84 ↓ -47%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $452.84 ↓ -47%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $452.84 ↓ -47%
WEBTPA AETNA $452.84 ↓ -47%
AETNA AETNA $452.84 ↓ -47%
CIGNA EAP CIGNA $783.00 ↓ -8%
CIGNA CIGNA $783.00 ↓ -8%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $828.68 ↓ -2%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $848.25 ↑ +0%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $848.25 ↑ +0%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $848.25 ↑ +0%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $848.25 ↑ +0%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $1,083.15 ↑ +28%
USA MANAGED CARE USA MANAGED CARE $1,109.25 ↑ +31%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $1,305.00 ↑ +54%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $1,305.00 ↑ +54%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $1,305.00 ↑ +54%

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Mayo dipstick analyte single step qualitative/semiqualitative synovial fluid at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines $33.57 $9.64 – $13.50
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $118.80 $9.64 – $9.64
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $133.25 $77.49 – $230.75
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $471.25 $9.34 – $725.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $133.25 $105.51 – $214.27
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $205.00 $56.25 – $205.00
MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center Davenport $132.60 not published
MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo $471.25 $9.34 – $725.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →