Infectious agent nucleic acid amplified probe clostridium difficile toxin gene(s) 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

$175.50

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.

$270.00

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.

$36.12 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $270.00 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 $36.12 ↓ -79%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $36.47 ↓ -79%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $36.52 ↓ -79%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $36.52 ↓ -79%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $36.52 ↓ -79%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $36.61 ↓ -79%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $36.89 ↓ -79%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $37.26 ↓ -79%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $37.27 ↓ -79%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $37.27 ↓ -79%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $37.64 ↓ -79%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $38.02 ↓ -78%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $49.57 ↓ -72%
OSCAR OSCAR $57.20 ↓ -67%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $61.87 ↓ -65%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $62.61 ↓ -64%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $63.45 ↓ -64%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $63.45 ↓ -64%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $74.91 ↓ -57%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $74.91 ↓ -57%
COVENTRY AETNA $101.43 ↓ -42%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $101.43 ↓ -42%
MERITAIN AETNA $101.43 ↓ -42%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $101.43 ↓ -42%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $101.43 ↓ -42%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $101.43 ↓ -42%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $101.43 ↓ -42%
AETNA AETNA $101.43 ↓ -42%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $101.43 ↓ -42%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $101.43 ↓ -42%
WEBTPA AETNA $101.43 ↓ -42%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $101.43 ↓ -42%
AETNA EAP AETNA $101.43 ↓ -42%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $177.12 ↑ +1%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $191.70 ↑ +9%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $191.70 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $191.70 ↑ +9%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $191.70 ↑ +9%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $191.70 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $191.70 ↑ +9%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $251.10 ↑ +43%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $270.00 ↑ +54%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $270.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Infectious agent nucleic acid amplified probe clostridium difficile toxin gene(s) at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $89.60 $22.36 – $54.59
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $193.20 $37.27 – $37.27
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $126.10 $76.80 – $194.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $126.10 $73.33 – $218.37
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $705.90 $36.12 – $194.00
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $126.10 $74.15 – $194.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $175.50 $36.12 – $270.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $126.10 $99.85 – $202.77

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →