Chromogenic substrate assay 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

$185.25

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.

Full explanation →

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

$285.00

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.

$11.89 with UNITED HEALTHCARE vs $285.00 with CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE — 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
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $11.89 ↓ -94%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $11.89 ↓ -94%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $72.96 ↓ -61%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $72.96 ↓ -61%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $149.63 ↓ -19%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $149.63 ↓ -19%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $149.63 ↓ -19%
COVENTRY AETNA $149.63 ↓ -19%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $149.63 ↓ -19%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $149.63 ↓ -19%
AETNA AETNA $149.63 ↓ -19%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $149.63 ↓ -19%
AETNA EAP AETNA $149.63 ↓ -19%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $149.63 ↓ -19%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $149.63 ↓ -19%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $149.63 ↓ -19%
MERITAIN AETNA $149.63 ↓ -19%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $149.63 ↓ -19%
WEBTPA AETNA $149.63 ↓ -19%
PREFERRED ONE PREFERRED ONE $185.25 ↑ +0%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $190.67 ↑ +3%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $199.50 ↑ +8%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $199.50 ↑ +8%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $199.50 ↑ +8%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $199.50 ↑ +8%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $199.50 ↑ +8%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $199.50 ↑ +8%
MHNET MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATES $228.00 ↑ +23%
MULTIPLAN MULTIPLAN $256.50 ↑ +38%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $285.00 ↑ +54%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $285.00 ↑ +54%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $285.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Chromogenic substrate assay at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $185.25 $11.89 – $285.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $185.25 $11.89 – $285.00
MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo $185.25 $11.89 – $285.00
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $33.57 $7.13 – $22.11
UnityPoint Health - Finley Hospital Dubuque $33.57 $3.50 – $33.57
UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Regional Medical Center Grinnell $33.57 $7.13 – $16.91
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines $33.57 $7.13 – $18.50
UnityPoint Health - Jones Regional Medical Center Anamosa $33.57 $7.13 – $37.22

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →