X-ray elbow 2 views (both sides) 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

$237.25

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.

$365.00

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.

$125.07 with BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE vs $253.98 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 $125.07 ↓ -47%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $126.36 ↓ -47%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $127.62 ↓ -46%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $128.89 ↓ -46%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $131.22 ↓ -45%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $131.27 ↓ -45%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $133.94 ↓ -44%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $151.19 ↓ -36%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $153.42 ↓ -35%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $154.16 ↓ -35%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $168.06 ↓ -29%
COVENTRY AETNA $178.85 ↓ -25%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $178.85 ↓ -25%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $178.85 ↓ -25%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $178.85 ↓ -25%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $178.85 ↓ -25%
AETNA AETNA $178.85 ↓ -25%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $178.85 ↓ -25%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $178.85 ↓ -25%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $178.85 ↓ -25%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $178.85 ↓ -25%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $178.85 ↓ -25%
MERITAIN AETNA $178.85 ↓ -25%
WEBTPA AETNA $178.85 ↓ -25%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $178.85 ↓ -25%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $182.25 ↓ -23%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $182.25 ↓ -23%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $189.54 ↓ -20%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $194.40 ↓ -18%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $194.40 ↓ -18%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $212.28 ↓ -11%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $233.77 ↓ -1%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE $238.14 ↑ +0%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE $238.14 ↑ +0%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE $238.14 ↑ +0%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE $238.14 ↑ +0%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE $238.14 ↑ +0%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE $238.14 ↑ +0%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $243.00 ↑ +2%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $243.00 ↑ +2%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $253.98 ↑ +7%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $253.98 ↑ +7%

Visitor-reported prices

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X-ray elbow 2 views (both sides) at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $176.40 $84.28 – $118.00
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $329.55 $78.07 – $338.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $237.25 $96.20 – $243.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $237.25 $91.85 – $273.52
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $323.05 $80.14 – $331.00
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $237.25 $92.87 – $243.00
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $793.00 $82.14 – $528.00
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $365.00 $66.68 – $243.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →