Contrast baths charges 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

$63.05

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.

$97.00

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.

$12.53 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $301.50 with FIRST 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 $12.53 ↓ -80%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $12.65 ↓ -80%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $12.70 ↓ -80%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $13.06 ↓ -79%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $13.06 ↓ -79%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $13.06 ↓ -79%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $13.06 ↓ -79%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $13.19 ↓ -79%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $13.32 ↓ -79%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $13.46 ↓ -79%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $13.60 ↓ -78%
OSCAR OSCAR $20.46 ↓ -68%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $22.13 ↓ -65%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $22.39 ↓ -64%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $22.80 ↓ -64%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $22.80 ↓ -64%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $26.79 ↓ -58%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $26.79 ↓ -58%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $63.63 ↑ +1%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $68.87 ↑ +9%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $68.87 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $68.87 ↑ +9%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $68.87 ↑ +9%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $68.87 ↑ +9%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $68.87 ↑ +9%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $90.21 ↑ +43%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $97.00 ↑ +54%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $97.00 ↑ +54%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $231.00 ↑ +266%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $231.00 ↑ +266%
AETNA EAP AETNA $301.50 ↑ +378%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $301.50 ↑ +378%
WEBTPA AETNA $301.50 ↑ +378%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $301.50 ↑ +378%
COVENTRY AETNA $301.50 ↑ +378%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $301.50 ↑ +378%
MERITAIN AETNA $301.50 ↑ +378%
AETNA AETNA $301.50 ↑ +378%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $301.50 ↑ +378%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $301.50 ↑ +378%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $301.50 ↑ +378%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $301.50 ↑ +378%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $301.50 ↑ +378%

Visitor-reported prices

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Contrast baths charges at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $86.90 $12.85 – $57.24
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $56.40 $17.37 – $17.37
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $85.15 $12.53 – $189.00
MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton $29.90 $12.53 – $46.00
MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center Davenport $63.00 not published
MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center DeWitt $63.00 $35.70 – $76.65
UnityPoint Health - Finley Hospital Dubuque $26.40 $12.63 – $30.36
UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Regional Medical Center Grinnell $93.36 $12.85 – $47.03

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →