Mayo babpb infectious agent nucleic acid amplified probe babesia microti 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

$82.55

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.

$127.00

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.

$29.85 with MEDICAL ASSOCIATES vs $127.00 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
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $29.85 ↓ -64%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $29.85 ↓ -64%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $34.01 ↓ -59%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $34.34 ↓ -58%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $34.39 ↓ -58%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $34.39 ↓ -58%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $34.39 ↓ -58%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $34.47 ↓ -58%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $34.73 ↓ -58%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $35.08 ↓ -58%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $35.09 ↓ -57%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $35.09 ↓ -57%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $35.44 ↓ -57%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $35.79 ↓ -57%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $46.67 ↓ -43%
OSCAR OSCAR $53.85 ↓ -35%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $58.25 ↓ -29%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $58.95 ↓ -29%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $70.53 ↓ -15%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $70.53 ↓ -15%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $83.31 ↑ +1%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $90.17 ↑ +9%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $90.17 ↑ +9%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $90.17 ↑ +9%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $90.17 ↑ +9%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $90.17 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $90.17 ↑ +9%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $95.49 ↑ +16%
COVENTRY AETNA $95.49 ↑ +16%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $95.49 ↑ +16%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $95.49 ↑ +16%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $95.49 ↑ +16%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $95.49 ↑ +16%
MERITAIN AETNA $95.49 ↑ +16%
WEBTPA AETNA $95.49 ↑ +16%
AETNA EAP AETNA $95.49 ↑ +16%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $95.49 ↑ +16%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $95.49 ↑ +16%
AETNA AETNA $95.49 ↑ +16%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $95.49 ↑ +16%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $118.11 ↑ +43%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $127.00 ↑ +54%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $127.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Mayo babpb infectious agent nucleic acid amplified probe babesia microti at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $70.40 $21.05 – $45.62
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $82.55 $34.01 – $127.00
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $108.00 $21.71 – $108.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $82.55 $25.53 – $127.00
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $122.00 $33.48 – $122.00
MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton $79.30 $34.01 – $122.00
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City $82.55 $32.51 – $127.00
UnityPoint Health - Finley Hospital Dubuque $70.40 $3.50 – $67.14

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →