Culture typing nucleic acid probe amplified per culture/isolate each organism 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

$97.50

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.

$150.00

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.

$34.01 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $150.00 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 $34.01 ↓ -65%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $34.34 ↓ -65%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $34.39 ↓ -65%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $34.39 ↓ -65%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $34.39 ↓ -65%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $34.47 ↓ -65%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $34.73 ↓ -64%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $35.08 ↓ -64%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $35.09 ↓ -64%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $35.09 ↓ -64%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $35.25 ↓ -64%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $35.25 ↓ -64%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $35.44 ↓ -64%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $35.79 ↓ -63%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $46.67 ↓ -52%
OSCAR OSCAR $53.85 ↓ -45%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $58.25 ↓ -40%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $58.95 ↓ -40%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $70.53 ↓ -28%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $70.53 ↓ -28%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $95.49 ↓ -2%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $95.49 ↓ -2%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $95.49 ↓ -2%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $95.49 ↓ -2%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $95.49 ↓ -2%
MERITAIN AETNA $95.49 ↓ -2%
WEBTPA AETNA $95.49 ↓ -2%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $95.49 ↓ -2%
AETNA EAP AETNA $95.49 ↓ -2%
AETNA AETNA $95.49 ↓ -2%
COVENTRY AETNA $95.49 ↓ -2%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $95.49 ↓ -2%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $95.49 ↓ -2%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $98.40 ↑ +1%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $106.50 ↑ +9%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $106.50 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $106.50 ↑ +9%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $106.50 ↑ +9%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $106.50 ↑ +9%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $106.50 ↑ +9%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $139.50 ↑ +43%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $150.00 ↑ +54%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $150.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Culture typing nucleic acid probe amplified per culture/isolate each organism at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $88.80 $21.05 – $54.59
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $95.40 $35.09 – $35.09
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $97.50 $34.01 – $150.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $157.30 $34.73 – $242.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $157.30 $34.73 – $272.40
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $97.50 $34.01 – $150.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $97.50 $34.01 – $150.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $157.30 $34.73 – $252.94

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →