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Diagnostic Mammogram (both breasts) at UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital

1200 Pleasant St, Des Moines, IA · UnityPoint Health · · NPI 1356433049

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Jan 28, 2026 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$413.31

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.

$516.63

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.

$43.57 with Aetna vs $167.69 with Aetna — 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
Aetna Medicare Advantage $43.57 ↓ -89%
Molina Medicare Advantage $44.44 ↓ -89%
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicare Advantage $44.44 ↓ -89%
Amerivantage Medicare Advantage $45.75 ↓ -89%
Humana Medicare Advantage $45.75 ↓ -89%
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage $45.75 ↓ -89%
United Healthcare HMO $63.77 ↓ -85%
United Healthcare PPO $63.77 ↓ -85%
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMO $86.30 ↓ -79%
Wellmark UPH Self-Funded Commercial $86.30 ↓ -79%
Cigna/Midlands Commercial $92.32 ↓ -78%
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield PPO $101.50 ↓ -75%
Health Partners Open Network Commercial $101.87 ↓ -75%
Medica Exchange Inspire Commercial $135.36 ↓ -67%
Medica Exchange Insure Commercial $151.89 ↓ -63%
Aetna HMO $167.69 ↓ -59%
Aetna PPO $167.69 ↓ -59%
Iowa Total Care Managed Medicaid not published by hospital
Amerigroup Managed Medicaid not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Diagnostic Mammogram (both breasts) at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $437.45 $98.64 – $673.00
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $285.60 $43.57 – $168.87
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $432.90 $98.79 – $666.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $445.90 $142.21 – $717.01
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $270.60 $207.95 – $207.95
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $343.85 $98.79 – $529.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $445.90 $142.21 – $686.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $445.90 $142.21 – $772.16

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →