Pt application of modality >=1 area ultrasound each 15 minutes 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

$61.75

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.

$95.00

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.

$10.53 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 $10.53 ↓ -83%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $10.63 ↓ -83%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $10.67 ↓ -83%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $13.36 ↓ -78%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $13.36 ↓ -78%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $13.36 ↓ -78%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $13.49 ↓ -78%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $13.62 ↓ -78%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $13.90 ↓ -77%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $17.89 ↓ -71%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $17.89 ↓ -71%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $18.13 ↓ -71%
OSCAR OSCAR $19.37 ↓ -69%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $19.67 ↓ -68%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $22.90 ↓ -63%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $27.40 ↓ -56%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $27.40 ↓ -56%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $30.88 ↓ -50%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $30.88 ↓ -50%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $30.88 ↓ -50%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $30.88 ↓ -50%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $30.88 ↓ -50%
AETNA AETNA $30.88 ↓ -50%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $30.88 ↓ -50%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $30.88 ↓ -50%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $30.88 ↓ -50%
COVENTRY AETNA $30.88 ↓ -50%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $30.88 ↓ -50%
MERITAIN AETNA $30.88 ↓ -50%
WEBTPA AETNA $30.88 ↓ -50%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $30.88 ↓ -50%
CIGNA CIGNA $53.40 ↓ -14%
CIGNA EAP CIGNA $53.40 ↓ -14%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $56.52 ↓ -8%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $57.85 ↓ -6%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $57.85 ↓ -6%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $57.85 ↓ -6%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $57.85 ↓ -6%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $73.87 ↑ +20%
USA MANAGED CARE USA MANAGED CARE $75.65 ↑ +23%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $89.00 ↑ +44%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $89.00 ↑ +44%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $89.00 ↑ +44%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $189.00 ↑ +206%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $189.00 ↑ +206%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE OPTIONS $211.00 ↑ +242%

Visitor-reported prices

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Pt application of modality >=1 area ultrasound each 15 minutes at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines $126.27 $13.14 – $46.40
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $67.80 $17.72 – $17.72
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $61.75 $10.53 – $212.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $87.75 $53.45 – $135.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $87.75 $51.03 – $151.96
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $81.90 $10.53 – $195.00
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $87.75 $51.60 – $135.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $63.05 $10.53 – $301.50

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →