Brace back t-lso custom at MercyOne Elkader Medical Center

901 Davidson St. NW, Elkader, IA · MercyOne · · NPI 1184645434

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 31, 2026 · Ingested Aug 3, 2026

$2,912.40

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.

$4,480.62

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.

$2,306.18 with BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE vs $4,683.14 with CLAIMDOC — 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
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $2,306.18 ↓ -21%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $2,329.92 ↓ -20%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $2,353.22 ↓ -19%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $2,376.52 ↓ -18%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $2,419.53 ↓ -17%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $2,420.43 ↓ -17%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $2,469.72 ↓ -15%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $2,787.84 ↓ -4%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $2,828.84 ↓ -3%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $2,842.51 ↓ -2%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $3,098.80 ↑ +6%
COVENTRY AETNA $3,297.74 ↑ +13%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $3,297.74 ↑ +13%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $3,297.74 ↑ +13%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $3,297.74 ↑ +13%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $3,297.74 ↑ +13%
AETNA AETNA $3,297.74 ↑ +13%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $3,297.74 ↑ +13%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $3,297.74 ↑ +13%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $3,297.74 ↑ +13%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $3,297.74 ↑ +13%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $3,297.74 ↑ +13%
MERITAIN AETNA $3,297.74 ↑ +13%
WEBTPA AETNA $3,297.74 ↑ +13%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $3,297.74 ↑ +13%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $3,494.88 ↑ +20%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $3,584.50 ↑ +23%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $3,584.50 ↑ +23%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $3,914.27 ↑ +34%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $3,920.54 ↑ +35%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $3,920.54 ↑ +35%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $4,310.36 ↑ +48%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE $4,391.01 ↑ +51%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE $4,391.01 ↑ +51%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE $4,391.01 ↑ +51%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE $4,391.01 ↑ +51%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE $4,391.01 ↑ +51%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE $4,391.01 ↑ +51%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $4,480.62 ↑ +54%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $4,480.62 ↑ +54%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $4,683.14 ↑ +61%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $4,683.14 ↑ +61%

Visitor-reported prices

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Brace back t-lso custom at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $2,912.40 $1,599.58 – $4,480.62
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $2,767.13 $1,685.39 – $4,257.12
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $2,912.40 $1,693.67 – $5,043.39
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $2,912.40 $1,268.02 – $4,480.62
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $2,913.85 $1,713.35 – $4,482.85
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $2,912.40 $1,052.95 – $4,480.62
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $4,482.85 $901.05 – $4,482.85
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $2,913.85 $901.05 – $4,482.85

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →