Dhea-s (dehydroepiand sulfate) 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

$185.90

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.

$286.00

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.

$147.20 with BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE vs $298.93 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 $147.20 ↓ -21%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $148.72 ↓ -20%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $150.21 ↓ -19%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $151.69 ↓ -18%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $154.44 ↓ -17%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $154.50 ↓ -17%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $157.64 ↓ -15%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $177.95 ↓ -4%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $180.57 ↓ -3%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $181.44 ↓ -2%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $197.80 ↑ +6%
COVENTRY AETNA $210.50 ↑ +13%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $210.50 ↑ +13%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $210.50 ↑ +13%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $210.50 ↑ +13%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $210.50 ↑ +13%
AETNA AETNA $210.50 ↑ +13%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $210.50 ↑ +13%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $210.50 ↑ +13%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $210.50 ↑ +13%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $210.50 ↑ +13%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $210.50 ↑ +13%
MERITAIN AETNA $210.50 ↑ +13%
WEBTPA AETNA $210.50 ↑ +13%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $210.50 ↑ +13%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $214.50 ↑ +15%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $214.50 ↑ +15%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $223.08 ↑ +20%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $228.80 ↑ +23%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $228.80 ↑ +23%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $249.85 ↑ +34%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $275.13 ↑ +48%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE $280.28 ↑ +51%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE $280.28 ↑ +51%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE $280.28 ↑ +51%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE $280.28 ↑ +51%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE $280.28 ↑ +51%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE $280.28 ↑ +51%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $286.00 ↑ +54%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $286.00 ↑ +54%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $298.93 ↑ +61%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $298.93 ↑ +61%

Visitor-reported prices

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Dhea-s (dehydroepiand sulfate) at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $119.40 $22.23 – $22.23
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $308.75 $21.54 – $475.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $185.90 $113.23 – $286.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $185.90 $108.11 – $321.92
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $564.20 $21.54 – $868.00
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $185.90 $109.31 – $286.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $204.10 $21.54 – $314.00
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $270.00 $21.54 – $270.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →