Brace back epic lo 627 at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center

1000 4th St. SW, Mason City, IA · MercyOne · · NPI 1467537886

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 31, 2026 · Ingested Aug 3, 2026

$140.30

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.

$215.85

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.

$43.17 with AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE vs $215.85 with UNITED HEALTHCARE — 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
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $43.17 ↓ -69%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $52.84 ↓ -62%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $53.36 ↓ -62%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $53.57 ↓ -62%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $55.26 ↓ -61%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $55.26 ↓ -61%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $68.42 ↓ -51%
OSCAR OSCAR $71.23 ↓ -49%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $113.32 ↓ -19%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $113.32 ↓ -19%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $113.32 ↓ -19%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $113.32 ↓ -19%
COVENTRY AETNA $113.32 ↓ -19%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $113.32 ↓ -19%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $113.32 ↓ -19%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $113.32 ↓ -19%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $113.32 ↓ -19%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $113.32 ↓ -19%
MERITAIN AETNA $113.32 ↓ -19%
AETNA AETNA $113.32 ↓ -19%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $113.32 ↓ -19%
WEBTPA AETNA $113.32 ↓ -19%
AETNA EAP AETNA $113.32 ↓ -19%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $129.51 ↓ -8%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $129.51 ↓ -8%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $129.51 ↓ -8%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $129.51 ↓ -8%
PREFERRED ONE PREFERRED ONE $140.30 ↑ +0%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $144.40 ↑ +3%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $151.10 ↑ +8%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $151.10 ↑ +8%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $151.10 ↑ +8%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $151.10 ↑ +8%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $151.10 ↑ +8%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $151.10 ↑ +8%
MHNET MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATES $172.68 ↑ +23%
MULTIPLAN MULTIPLAN $194.27 ↑ +38%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $215.85 ↑ +54%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $215.85 ↑ +54%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $215.85 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Brace back epic lo 627 at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $140.30 $41.83 – $215.85
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $145.72 $88.75 – $224.18
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $140.30 $81.59 – $242.96
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $140.30 $41.83 – $215.85
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $140.30 $82.50 – $215.85
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $140.30 $37.43 – $215.85
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $140.30 $111.10 – $225.61
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $215.85 $35.23 – $215.85

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →