Methylene blue (antidote) 5 mg/ml intravenous solution 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

$620.55

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.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$620.55

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.

$319.40 with BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE vs $648.60 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 $319.40 ↓ -49%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $322.69 ↓ -48%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $325.91 ↓ -47%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $329.14 ↓ -47%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $335.10 ↓ -46%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $335.22 ↓ -46%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $342.05 ↓ -45%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $386.11 ↓ -38%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $391.78 ↓ -37%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $393.68 ↓ -37%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $429.17 ↓ -31%
COVENTRY AETNA $456.72 ↓ -26%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $456.72 ↓ -26%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $456.72 ↓ -26%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $456.72 ↓ -26%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $456.72 ↓ -26%
AETNA AETNA $456.72 ↓ -26%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $456.72 ↓ -26%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $456.72 ↓ -26%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $456.72 ↓ -26%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $456.72 ↓ -26%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $456.72 ↓ -26%
MERITAIN AETNA $456.72 ↓ -26%
WEBTPA AETNA $456.72 ↓ -26%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $456.72 ↓ -26%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $484.03 ↓ -22%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $496.44 ↓ -20%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $496.44 ↓ -20%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $542.11 ↓ -13%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $542.98 ↓ -13%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $542.98 ↓ -13%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $596.97 ↓ -4%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE $608.14 ↓ -2%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE $608.14 ↓ -2%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE $608.14 ↓ -2%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE $608.14 ↓ -2%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE $608.14 ↓ -2%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE $608.14 ↓ -2%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $620.55 ↑ +0%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $620.55 ↑ +0%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $648.60 ↑ +5%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $648.60 ↑ +5%

Visitor-reported prices

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Methylene blue (antidote) 5 mg/ml intravenous solution at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $620.55 $18.19 – $620.55
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $620.55 $234.57 – $698.49
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $234.55 $18.19 – $234.55
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $234.55 $89.65 – $234.55
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $234.55 $18.19 – $234.55
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $234.55 $18.19 – $234.55
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $689.85 $18.19 – $234.55
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $620.55 $170.28 – $620.55

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →