Electron microscopy diagnostic 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

$455.00

Cash price

?

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.

$700.00

Gross charge

?

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.

$360.29 with BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE vs $731.64 with CLAIMDOC — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
?

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
?

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 $360.29 ↓ -21%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $364.00 ↓ -20%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $367.64 ↓ -19%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $371.28 ↓ -18%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $378.00 ↓ -17%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $378.14 ↓ -17%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $385.84 ↓ -15%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $435.54 ↓ -4%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $441.95 ↓ -3%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $444.08 ↓ -2%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $484.12 ↑ +6%
COVENTRY AETNA $515.20 ↑ +13%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $515.20 ↑ +13%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $515.20 ↑ +13%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $515.20 ↑ +13%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $515.20 ↑ +13%
AETNA AETNA $515.20 ↑ +13%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $515.20 ↑ +13%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $515.20 ↑ +13%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $515.20 ↑ +13%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $515.20 ↑ +13%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $515.20 ↑ +13%
MERITAIN AETNA $515.20 ↑ +13%
WEBTPA AETNA $515.20 ↑ +13%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $515.20 ↑ +13%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $525.00 ↑ +15%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $525.00 ↑ +15%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $546.00 ↑ +20%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $560.00 ↑ +23%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $560.00 ↑ +23%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $611.52 ↑ +34%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $673.40 ↑ +48%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE $686.00 ↑ +51%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE $686.00 ↑ +51%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE $686.00 ↑ +51%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE $686.00 ↑ +51%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE $686.00 ↑ +51%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE $686.00 ↑ +51%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $700.00 ↑ +54%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $700.00 ↑ +54%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $731.64 ↑ +61%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $731.64 ↑ +61%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Electron microscopy diagnostic at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $630.00 $682.50 – $781.95
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $1,272.05 $698.65 – $1,957.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $455.00 $264.60 – $787.92
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $1,272.05 $553.83 – $1,957.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $2,878.85 $759.04 – $4,429.00
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $666.00 $133.87 – $1,564.16
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $1,743.95 $133.87 – $1,564.16
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City $927.55 $365.31 – $1,745.49

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →