Bundled special stain group 2 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

$175.50

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.

$270.00

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.

$111.69 with BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE vs $226.81 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 $111.69 ↓ -36%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $112.84 ↓ -36%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $113.97 ↓ -35%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $115.10 ↓ -34%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $117.18 ↓ -33%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $117.22 ↓ -33%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $119.61 ↓ -32%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $135.02 ↓ -23%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $137.00 ↓ -22%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $137.66 ↓ -22%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $150.08 ↓ -14%
COVENTRY AETNA $159.71 ↓ -9%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $159.71 ↓ -9%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $159.71 ↓ -9%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $159.71 ↓ -9%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $159.71 ↓ -9%
AETNA AETNA $159.71 ↓ -9%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $159.71 ↓ -9%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $159.71 ↓ -9%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $159.71 ↓ -9%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $159.71 ↓ -9%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $159.71 ↓ -9%
MERITAIN AETNA $159.71 ↓ -9%
WEBTPA AETNA $159.71 ↓ -9%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $159.71 ↓ -9%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $162.75 ↓ -7%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $162.75 ↓ -7%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $169.26 ↓ -4%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $173.60 ↓ -1%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $173.60 ↓ -1%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $189.57 ↑ +8%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $208.75 ↑ +19%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE $212.66 ↑ +21%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE $212.66 ↑ +21%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE $212.66 ↑ +21%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE $212.66 ↑ +21%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE $212.66 ↑ +21%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE $212.66 ↑ +21%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $217.00 ↑ +24%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $217.00 ↑ +24%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $226.81 ↑ +29%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $226.81 ↑ +29%

Visitor-reported prices

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Bundled special stain group 2 at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $334.80 $51.35 – $123.39
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $176.15 $7.24 – $265.84
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $175.50 $106.89 – $270.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $175.50 $82.03 – $244.26
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $160.55 $33.96 – $284.72
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $213.85 $33.96 – $329.00
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $328.00 $33.96 – $311.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $243.75 $33.96 – $311.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →