Brace back epic lso 637 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

$186.50

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.

$286.92

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.

$57.38 with AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE vs $286.92 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 $57.38 ↓ -69%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $58.53 ↓ -69%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $59.11 ↓ -68%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $59.34 ↓ -68%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $67.43 ↓ -64%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $67.43 ↓ -64%
OSCAR OSCAR $88.95 ↓ -52%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $98.13 ↓ -47%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $159.24 ↓ -15%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $159.24 ↓ -15%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $172.15 ↓ -8%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $172.15 ↓ -8%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $188.22 ↑ +1%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $203.71 ↑ +9%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $203.71 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $203.71 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $203.71 ↑ +9%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $203.71 ↑ +9%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $203.71 ↑ +9%
AETNA AETNA $256.22 ↑ +37%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $256.22 ↑ +37%
AETNA EAP AETNA $256.22 ↑ +37%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $256.22 ↑ +37%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $256.22 ↑ +37%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $256.22 ↑ +37%
COVENTRY AETNA $256.22 ↑ +37%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $256.22 ↑ +37%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $256.22 ↑ +37%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $256.22 ↑ +37%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $256.22 ↑ +37%
MERITAIN AETNA $256.22 ↑ +37%
WEBTPA AETNA $256.22 ↑ +37%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $266.84 ↑ +43%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $286.92 ↑ +54%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $286.92 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Brace back epic lso 637 at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo not published $712.41 – $1,475.06
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $186.50 $55.61 – $286.92
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $193.69 $117.97 – $297.99
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $186.50 $108.46 – $322.96
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $186.50 $55.61 – $286.92
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $186.50 $109.66 – $286.92
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $186.50 $49.75 – $286.92
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $186.50 $147.68 – $299.89

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →