Mycobacteria dna amp probe 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

$247.65

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.

$381.00

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.

$46.75 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $381.00 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 $46.75 ↓ -81%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $47.20 ↓ -81%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $47.28 ↓ -81%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $47.28 ↓ -81%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $47.28 ↓ -81%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $47.39 ↓ -81%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $47.75 ↓ -81%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $48.22 ↓ -81%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $48.24 ↓ -81%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $48.24 ↓ -81%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $48.72 ↓ -80%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $49.20 ↓ -80%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $64.16 ↓ -74%
OSCAR OSCAR $74.03 ↓ -70%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $80.08 ↓ -68%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $81.04 ↓ -67%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $89.54 ↓ -64%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $89.54 ↓ -64%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $96.96 ↓ -61%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $96.96 ↓ -61%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $131.25 ↓ -47%
COVENTRY AETNA $131.25 ↓ -47%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $131.25 ↓ -47%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $131.25 ↓ -47%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $131.25 ↓ -47%
MERITAIN AETNA $131.25 ↓ -47%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $131.25 ↓ -47%
AETNA AETNA $131.25 ↓ -47%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $131.25 ↓ -47%
WEBTPA AETNA $131.25 ↓ -47%
AETNA EAP AETNA $131.25 ↓ -47%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $131.25 ↓ -47%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $131.25 ↓ -47%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $249.94 ↑ +1%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $270.51 ↑ +9%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $270.51 ↑ +9%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $270.51 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $270.51 ↑ +9%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $270.51 ↑ +9%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $270.51 ↑ +9%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $354.33 ↑ +43%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $381.00 ↑ +54%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $381.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

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Mycobacteria dna amp probe at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $101.60 $28.94 – $67.54
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $381.00 $46.75 – $381.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $247.65 $46.75 – $381.00
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City $365.30 $46.75 – $562.00
UnityPoint Health - Finley Hospital Dubuque $101.60 $3.50 – $67.54
UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Regional Medical Center Grinnell $101.60 $26.52 – $52.37
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines $101.60 $21.99 – $67.54
UnityPoint Health - Jones Regional Medical Center Anamosa $101.60 $28.94 – $74.45

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →