Pt application of modality >=1 area hot/cold packs 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

$52.00

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.

$80.00

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.

$9.61 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $211.00 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 $9.61 ↓ -82%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $9.70 ↓ -81%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $9.74 ↓ -81%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $16.00 ↓ -69%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $16.08 ↓ -69%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $16.08 ↓ -69%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $21.12 ↓ -59%
OSCAR OSCAR $21.60 ↓ -58%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $27.76 ↓ -47%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $27.76 ↓ -47%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $27.76 ↓ -47%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $27.76 ↓ -47%
AETNA AETNA $27.76 ↓ -47%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $27.76 ↓ -47%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $27.76 ↓ -47%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $27.76 ↓ -47%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $27.76 ↓ -47%
MERITAIN AETNA $27.76 ↓ -47%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $27.76 ↓ -47%
WEBTPA AETNA $27.76 ↓ -47%
COVENTRY AETNA $27.76 ↓ -47%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $27.76 ↓ -47%
CIGNA CIGNA $48.00 ↓ -8%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $48.00 ↓ -8%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $48.00 ↓ -8%
CIGNA EAP CIGNA $48.00 ↓ -8%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $50.80 ↓ -2%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $52.00 ↑ +0%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $52.00 ↑ +0%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $52.00 ↑ +0%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $52.00 ↑ +0%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $66.40 ↑ +28%
USA MANAGED CARE USA MANAGED CARE $68.00 ↑ +31%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $80.00 ↑ +54%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $80.00 ↑ +54%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $80.00 ↑ +54%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $189.00 ↑ +263%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $189.00 ↑ +263%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE OPTIONS $211.00 ↑ +306%

Visitor-reported prices

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Pt application of modality >=1 area hot/cold packs at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines $12.00 $5.92 – $9.80
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $63.05 $38.40 – $97.00
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $63.05 $37.07 – $97.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $52.00 $9.61 – $301.50
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $63.05 $49.93 – $101.38
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $97.00 $26.62 – $97.00
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City $52.00 $1.80 – $350.00
MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo $52.00 $9.61 – $301.50

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →