In situ hybridization per specimen each additional single probe stain 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

$469.95

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.

$723.00

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.

$104.37 with UNITED HEALTHCARE vs $723.00 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
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $104.37 ↓ -78%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $104.37 ↓ -78%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $115.96 ↓ -75%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $169.91 ↓ -64%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $169.91 ↓ -64%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $346.47 ↓ -26%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $346.47 ↓ -26%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $346.47 ↓ -26%
AETNA EAP AETNA $346.47 ↓ -26%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $346.47 ↓ -26%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $346.47 ↓ -26%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $346.47 ↓ -26%
AETNA AETNA $346.47 ↓ -26%
COVENTRY AETNA $346.47 ↓ -26%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $346.47 ↓ -26%
MERITAIN AETNA $346.47 ↓ -26%
WEBTPA AETNA $346.47 ↓ -26%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $346.47 ↓ -26%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $474.29 ↑ +1%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $513.33 ↑ +9%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $513.33 ↑ +9%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $513.33 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $513.33 ↑ +9%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $513.33 ↑ +9%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $513.33 ↑ +9%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $672.39 ↑ +43%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $723.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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In situ hybridization per specimen each additional single probe stain at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $292.13 $30.76 – $192.44
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $192.40 $104.37 – $296.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $158.60 $92.23 – $274.65
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $192.40 $83.77 – $296.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $191.75 $69.33 – $346.47
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $158.60 $115.96 – $255.03
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $190.00 $38.19 – $190.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $123.50 $38.19 – $190.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →