Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site 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

$279.50

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.

$430.00

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.

$221.32 with BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE vs $449.44 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 $221.32 ↓ -21%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $223.60 ↓ -20%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $225.84 ↓ -19%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $228.07 ↓ -18%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $232.20 ↓ -17%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $232.29 ↓ -17%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $237.02 ↓ -15%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $267.55 ↓ -4%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $271.48 ↓ -3%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $272.79 ↓ -2%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $297.39 ↑ +6%
COVENTRY AETNA $316.48 ↑ +13%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $316.48 ↑ +13%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $316.48 ↑ +13%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $316.48 ↑ +13%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $316.48 ↑ +13%
AETNA AETNA $316.48 ↑ +13%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $316.48 ↑ +13%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $316.48 ↑ +13%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $316.48 ↑ +13%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $316.48 ↑ +13%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $316.48 ↑ +13%
MERITAIN AETNA $316.48 ↑ +13%
WEBTPA AETNA $316.48 ↑ +13%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $316.48 ↑ +13%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $322.50 ↑ +15%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $322.50 ↑ +15%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $335.40 ↑ +20%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $344.00 ↑ +23%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $344.00 ↑ +23%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $375.65 ↑ +34%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $413.66 ↑ +48%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE $421.40 ↑ +51%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE $421.40 ↑ +51%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE $421.40 ↑ +51%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE $421.40 ↑ +51%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE $421.40 ↑ +51%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE $421.40 ↑ +51%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $430.00 ↑ +54%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $430.00 ↑ +54%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $449.44 ↑ +61%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $449.44 ↑ +61%

Visitor-reported prices

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Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $666.60 $577.85 – $781.95
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $252.20 $30.01 – $1,609.82
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $279.50 $162.54 – $484.01
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $252.20 $109.80 – $1,724.12
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $1,145.30 $240.28 – $1,762.00
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $240.00 $48.24 – $1,564.16
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $430.00 $117.99 – $430.00
MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton $279.50 $245.10 – $1,564.16

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →