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Alpha-fetoprotein tumor marker at MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center

3421 W. 9th St, Waterloo, IA · MercyOne · · NPI 1700827896

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

$176.15

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.

Full explanation →

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

$271.00

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.

$16.25 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $271.00 with IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH — 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
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $16.25 ↓ -91%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $16.41 ↓ -91%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $16.43 ↓ -91%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $16.43 ↓ -91%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $16.43 ↓ -91%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $16.47 ↓ -91%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $16.60 ↓ -91%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $16.76 ↓ -90%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $16.77 ↓ -90%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $16.77 ↓ -90%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $16.94 ↓ -90%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $17.11 ↓ -90%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $22.30 ↓ -87%
OSCAR OSCAR $25.74 ↓ -85%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $27.84 ↓ -84%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $28.17 ↓ -84%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $33.71 ↓ -81%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $33.71 ↓ -81%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $45.62 ↓ -74%
COVENTRY AETNA $45.62 ↓ -74%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $45.62 ↓ -74%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $45.62 ↓ -74%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $45.62 ↓ -74%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $45.62 ↓ -74%
MERITAIN AETNA $45.62 ↓ -74%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $45.62 ↓ -74%
AETNA AETNA $45.62 ↓ -74%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $45.62 ↓ -74%
WEBTPA AETNA $45.62 ↓ -74%
AETNA EAP AETNA $45.62 ↓ -74%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $45.62 ↓ -74%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $63.69 ↓ -64%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $63.69 ↓ -64%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $177.78 ↑ +1%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $192.41 ↑ +9%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $192.41 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $192.41 ↑ +9%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $192.41 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $192.41 ↑ +9%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $192.41 ↑ +9%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $252.03 ↑ +43%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $271.00 ↑ +54%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $271.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Alpha-fetoprotein tumor marker at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $64.28 $10.06 – $42.34
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $132.60 $16.77 – $16.77
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $261.30 $16.25 – $184.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $129.35 $78.78 – $199.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $129.35 $75.22 – $223.99
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $155.35 $16.25 – $184.00
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $129.35 $76.06 – $199.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $198.90 $16.25 – $306.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →