Nm imaging hepatobiliary system w/pharmacologic intervention 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

$1,922.64

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.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$2,403.29

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.

$38.86 with Aetna vs $706.57 with Medica Exchange Insure — 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 $38.86 ↓ -98%
Molina Medicare Advantage $39.64 ↓ -98%
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicare Advantage $39.64 ↓ -98%
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage $40.80 ↓ -98%
Humana Medicare Advantage $40.80 ↓ -98%
Amerivantage Medicare Advantage $40.80 ↓ -98%
United Healthcare HMO $56.93 ↓ -97%
United Healthcare PPO $56.93 ↓ -97%
Wellmark UPH Self-Funded Commercial $71.40 ↓ -96%
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMO $71.40 ↓ -96%
Cigna/Midlands Commercial $81.98 ↓ -96%
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield PPO $84.00 ↓ -96%
Health Partners Open Network Commercial $86.36 ↓ -96%
Aetna HMO $93.81 ↓ -95%
Aetna PPO $108.55 ↓ -94%
Amerigroup Managed Medicaid $518.60 ↓ -73%
Iowa Total Care Managed Medicaid $518.60 ↓ -73%
Medica Exchange Inspire Commercial $629.66 ↓ -67%
Medica Exchange Insure Commercial $706.57 ↓ -63%

Visitor-reported prices

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Nm imaging hepatobiliary system w/pharmacologic intervention at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $1,369.55 $423.51 – $2,107.00
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $1,108.80 $515.24 – $721.34
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $1,694.55 $487.13 – $2,607.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $1,440.40 $877.31 – $2,216.00
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $1,528.15 $500.00 – $2,351.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $1,440.40 $1,140.58 – $2,316.16
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $2,567.00 $512.50 – $2,567.00
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $2,216.00 $608.07 – $2,216.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →