X-ray knee 3 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

$319.15

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.

$491.00

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.

$168.31 with BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE vs $341.78 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 $168.31 ↓ -47%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $170.04 ↓ -47%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $171.74 ↓ -46%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $173.44 ↓ -46%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $176.58 ↓ -45%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $176.65 ↓ -45%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $180.24 ↓ -44%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $203.46 ↓ -36%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $206.45 ↓ -35%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $207.45 ↓ -35%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $226.15 ↓ -29%
COVENTRY AETNA $240.67 ↓ -25%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $240.67 ↓ -25%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $240.67 ↓ -25%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $240.67 ↓ -25%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $240.67 ↓ -25%
AETNA AETNA $240.67 ↓ -25%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $240.67 ↓ -25%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $240.67 ↓ -25%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $240.67 ↓ -25%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $240.67 ↓ -25%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $240.67 ↓ -25%
MERITAIN AETNA $240.67 ↓ -25%
WEBTPA AETNA $240.67 ↓ -25%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $240.67 ↓ -25%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $245.25 ↓ -23%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $245.25 ↓ -23%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $255.06 ↓ -20%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $261.60 ↓ -18%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $261.60 ↓ -18%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $285.67 ↓ -10%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $314.57 ↓ -1%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE $320.46 ↑ +0%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE $320.46 ↑ +0%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE $320.46 ↑ +0%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE $320.46 ↑ +0%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE $320.46 ↑ +0%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE $320.46 ↑ +0%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $327.00 ↑ +2%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $327.00 ↑ +2%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $341.78 ↑ +7%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $341.78 ↑ +7%

Visitor-reported prices

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X-ray knee 3 views (both sides) at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $264.00 $84.28 – $118.00
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $473.20 $78.07 – $485.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $319.15 $129.46 – $327.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $319.15 $123.61 – $368.07
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $466.05 $80.14 – $478.00
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $319.15 $124.98 – $327.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $455.65 $81.99 – $467.00
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $1,027.00 $82.14 – $685.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →