Hemoglobin plasma 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

$83.85

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.

$129.00

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.

$7.16 with MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS vs $129.00 with CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE — 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
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $7.16 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $7.24 ↓ -91%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $7.31 ↓ -91%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $7.38 ↓ -91%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $7.46 ↓ -91%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $7.59 ↓ -91%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $7.75 ↓ -91%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $9.72 ↓ -88%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $10.97 ↓ -87%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $12.28 ↓ -85%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $14.69 ↓ -82%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $14.69 ↓ -82%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $80.26 ↓ -4%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $81.44 ↓ -3%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $81.84 ↓ -2%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $94.94 ↑ +13%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $94.94 ↑ +13%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $94.94 ↑ +13%
COVENTRY AETNA $94.94 ↑ +13%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $94.94 ↑ +13%
MERITAIN AETNA $94.94 ↑ +13%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $94.94 ↑ +13%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $94.94 ↑ +13%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $94.94 ↑ +13%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $94.94 ↑ +13%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $94.94 ↑ +13%
WEBTPA AETNA $94.94 ↑ +13%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $94.94 ↑ +13%
AETNA AETNA $94.94 ↑ +13%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $96.75 ↑ +15%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $96.75 ↑ +15%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $103.20 ↑ +23%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $103.20 ↑ +23%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $124.10 ↑ +48%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE $126.42 ↑ +51%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE $126.42 ↑ +51%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE $126.42 ↑ +51%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE $126.42 ↑ +51%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE $126.42 ↑ +51%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE $126.42 ↑ +51%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $129.00 ↑ +54%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $129.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Hemoglobin plasma at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $61.20 $7.31 – $7.31
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $59.80 $7.08 – $92.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $83.85 $7.16 – $129.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $83.85 $7.16 – $129.00
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $59.80 $7.08 – $92.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $59.80 $7.08 – $92.00
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $131.00 $7.08 – $131.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $85.15 $7.08 – $131.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →