Beta-2 microglobulin 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

$124.15

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.

$191.00

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.

$15.68 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $191.00 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
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $15.68 ↓ -87%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $15.83 ↓ -87%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $15.86 ↓ -87%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $15.86 ↓ -87%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $15.86 ↓ -87%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $15.89 ↓ -87%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $16.01 ↓ -87%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $16.17 ↓ -87%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $16.18 ↓ -87%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $16.18 ↓ -87%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $16.34 ↓ -87%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $16.50 ↓ -87%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $21.52 ↓ -83%
OSCAR OSCAR $24.83 ↓ -80%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $26.86 ↓ -78%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $27.18 ↓ -78%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $32.52 ↓ -74%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $32.52 ↓ -74%
COVENTRY AETNA $44.03 ↓ -65%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $44.03 ↓ -65%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $44.03 ↓ -65%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $44.03 ↓ -65%
AETNA AETNA $44.03 ↓ -65%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $44.03 ↓ -65%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $44.03 ↓ -65%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $44.03 ↓ -65%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $44.03 ↓ -65%
MERITAIN AETNA $44.03 ↓ -65%
WEBTPA AETNA $44.03 ↓ -65%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $44.03 ↓ -65%
AETNA EAP AETNA $44.03 ↓ -65%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $44.89 ↓ -64%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $44.89 ↓ -64%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $125.30 ↑ +1%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $135.61 ↑ +9%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $135.61 ↑ +9%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $135.61 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $135.61 ↑ +9%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $135.61 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $135.61 ↑ +9%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $177.63 ↑ +43%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $191.00 ↑ +54%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $191.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Beta-2 microglobulin at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $55.00 $9.71 – $36.23
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $123.00 $16.18 – $16.18
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $390.00 $15.68 – $600.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $96.20 $58.59 – $148.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $96.20 $55.94 – $166.59
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $390.00 $15.68 – $600.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $124.15 $15.68 – $191.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $96.20 $76.18 – $154.69

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →