Infectious agent nucleic acid amplified probe mycobacteria tuberculosis 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

$282.75

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.

$435.00

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.

$40.39 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $435.00 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 $40.39 ↓ -86%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $40.79 ↓ -86%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $40.85 ↓ -86%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $40.85 ↓ -86%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $40.85 ↓ -86%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $40.95 ↓ -86%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $41.25 ↓ -85%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $41.66 ↓ -85%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $41.68 ↓ -85%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $41.68 ↓ -85%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $42.10 ↓ -85%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $42.51 ↓ -85%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $55.43 ↓ -80%
OSCAR OSCAR $63.97 ↓ -77%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $69.19 ↓ -76%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $70.02 ↓ -75%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $83.78 ↓ -70%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $83.78 ↓ -70%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $102.23 ↓ -64%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $102.23 ↓ -64%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $113.41 ↓ -60%
COVENTRY AETNA $113.41 ↓ -60%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $113.41 ↓ -60%
MERITAIN AETNA $113.41 ↓ -60%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $113.41 ↓ -60%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $113.41 ↓ -60%
AETNA AETNA $113.41 ↓ -60%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $113.41 ↓ -60%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $113.41 ↓ -60%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $113.41 ↓ -60%
WEBTPA AETNA $113.41 ↓ -60%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $113.41 ↓ -60%
AETNA EAP AETNA $113.41 ↓ -60%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $285.36 ↑ +1%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $308.85 ↑ +9%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $308.85 ↑ +9%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $308.85 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $308.85 ↑ +9%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $308.85 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $308.85 ↑ +9%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $404.55 ↑ +43%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $435.00 ↑ +54%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $435.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Infectious agent nucleic acid amplified probe mycobacteria tuberculosis at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $101.60 $25.01 – $58.35
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $369.60 $41.68 – $41.68
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $181.35 $40.39 – $279.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $109.20 $66.51 – $168.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $109.20 $63.50 – $189.10
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $181.35 $40.39 – $279.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $389.35 $40.39 – $599.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $109.20 $86.47 – $175.59

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →