Chromo high res and frag x - sendout 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

$399.75

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.

$615.00

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.

$55.27 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $615.00 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 $55.27 ↓ -86%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $55.82 ↓ -86%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $55.90 ↓ -86%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $55.90 ↓ -86%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $55.90 ↓ -86%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $56.03 ↓ -86%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $56.46 ↓ -86%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $57.02 ↓ -86%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $57.04 ↓ -86%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $57.04 ↓ -86%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $57.61 ↓ -86%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $58.18 ↓ -85%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $75.86 ↓ -81%
OSCAR OSCAR $87.54 ↓ -78%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $94.69 ↓ -76%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $95.83 ↓ -76%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $114.65 ↓ -71%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $114.65 ↓ -71%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $144.53 ↓ -64%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $144.53 ↓ -64%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $155.21 ↓ -61%
COVENTRY AETNA $155.21 ↓ -61%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $155.21 ↓ -61%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $155.21 ↓ -61%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $155.21 ↓ -61%
MERITAIN AETNA $155.21 ↓ -61%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $155.21 ↓ -61%
AETNA AETNA $155.21 ↓ -61%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $155.21 ↓ -61%
WEBTPA AETNA $155.21 ↓ -61%
AETNA EAP AETNA $155.21 ↓ -61%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $155.21 ↓ -61%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $155.21 ↓ -61%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $403.44 ↑ +1%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $436.65 ↑ +9%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $436.65 ↑ +9%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $436.65 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $436.65 ↑ +9%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $436.65 ↑ +9%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $436.65 ↑ +9%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $571.95 ↑ +43%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $615.00 ↑ +54%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $615.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Chromo high res and frag x - sendout at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $127.86 $34.22 – $84.23
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $272.40 $57.04 – $57.04
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $399.75 $55.27 – $615.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $399.75 $55.27 – $615.00
MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton $266.50 $55.27 – $410.00
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City $399.75 $55.27 – $615.00
MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center Davenport $286.20 not published
MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center DeWitt $308.40 $74.80 – $160.60

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →