X-ray forearm 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

$349.05

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.

$537.00

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.

$184.26 with BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE vs $374.18 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 $184.26 ↓ -47%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $186.16 ↓ -47%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $188.02 ↓ -46%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $189.88 ↓ -46%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $193.32 ↓ -45%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $193.39 ↓ -45%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $197.33 ↓ -43%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $222.75 ↓ -36%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $226.02 ↓ -35%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $227.12 ↓ -35%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $247.59 ↓ -29%
COVENTRY AETNA $263.49 ↓ -25%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $263.49 ↓ -25%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $263.49 ↓ -25%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $263.49 ↓ -25%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $263.49 ↓ -25%
AETNA AETNA $263.49 ↓ -25%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $263.49 ↓ -25%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $263.49 ↓ -25%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $263.49 ↓ -25%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $263.49 ↓ -25%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $263.49 ↓ -25%
MERITAIN AETNA $263.49 ↓ -25%
WEBTPA AETNA $263.49 ↓ -25%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $263.49 ↓ -25%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $268.50 ↓ -23%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $268.50 ↓ -23%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $279.24 ↓ -20%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $286.40 ↓ -18%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $286.40 ↓ -18%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $312.75 ↓ -10%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $344.40 ↓ -1%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE $350.84 ↑ +1%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE $350.84 ↑ +1%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE $350.84 ↑ +1%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE $350.84 ↑ +1%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE $350.84 ↑ +1%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE $350.84 ↑ +1%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $358.00 ↑ +3%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $358.00 ↑ +3%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $374.18 ↑ +7%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $374.18 ↑ +7%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

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

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $264.60 $84.28 – $118.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $828.10 $60.36 – $358.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $349.05 $135.32 – $402.96
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $438.10 $80.14 – $449.00
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $349.05 $136.83 – $358.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $455.65 $81.99 – $467.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $560.00 $4.90 – $560.00
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $537.00 $98.24 – $358.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →