Cholesterol body fluid 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

$209.30

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.

$322.00

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.

$193.20 with NOVA vs $322.00 with IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH — 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
NOVA CLAIMDOC $193.20 ↓ -8%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $193.20 ↓ -8%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $200.35 ↓ -4%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $203.29 ↓ -3%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $204.28 ↓ -2%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $236.99 ↑ +13%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $236.99 ↑ +13%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $236.99 ↑ +13%
AETNA AETNA $236.99 ↑ +13%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $236.99 ↑ +13%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $236.99 ↑ +13%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $236.99 ↑ +13%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $236.99 ↑ +13%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $236.99 ↑ +13%
COVENTRY AETNA $236.99 ↑ +13%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $236.99 ↑ +13%
MERITAIN AETNA $236.99 ↑ +13%
WEBTPA AETNA $236.99 ↑ +13%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $236.99 ↑ +13%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $241.50 ↑ +15%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $241.50 ↑ +15%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $257.60 ↑ +23%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $257.60 ↑ +23%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $309.76 ↑ +48%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE $315.56 ↑ +51%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE $315.56 ↑ +51%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE $315.56 ↑ +51%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE $315.56 ↑ +51%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE $315.56 ↑ +51%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE $315.56 ↑ +51%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $322.00 ↑ +54%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $322.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Cholesterol body fluid at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $621.60 not published
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $139.10 $5.80 – $29.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $209.30 $162.61 – $322.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $209.30 $121.72 – $322.00
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $139.10 $11.73 – $214.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $18.85 $5.80 – $29.00
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $21.00 $4.20 – $21.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $13.65 $4.20 – $21.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →