healthcosts.net

Oncology colon mrna 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

$11,381.50

Cash price

?

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.

$17,510.00

Gross charge

?

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.

$3,116.00 with UNITED HEALTHCARE vs $17,510.00 with UNITED HEALTHCARE — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
?

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
?

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 $3,116.00 ↓ -73%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $3,116.00 ↓ -73%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $4,114.85 ↓ -64%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $4,114.85 ↓ -64%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $8,479.20 ↓ -26%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $8,479.20 ↓ -26%
COVENTRY AETNA $8,479.20 ↓ -26%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $8,479.20 ↓ -26%
AETNA AETNA $8,479.20 ↓ -26%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $8,479.20 ↓ -26%
AETNA EAP AETNA $8,479.20 ↓ -26%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $8,479.20 ↓ -26%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $8,479.20 ↓ -26%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $8,479.20 ↓ -26%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $8,479.20 ↓ -26%
MERITAIN AETNA $8,479.20 ↓ -26%
WEBTPA AETNA $8,479.20 ↓ -26%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $11,486.56 ↑ +1%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $12,432.10 ↑ +9%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $12,432.10 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $12,432.10 ↑ +9%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $12,432.10 ↑ +9%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $12,432.10 ↑ +9%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $12,432.10 ↑ +9%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $16,284.30 ↑ +43%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $17,510.00 ↑ +54%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $17,510.00 ↑ +54%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Oncology colon mrna at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $6,232.00 $1,869.60 – $4,362.69
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $11,381.50 $3,116.00 – $17,510.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $11,381.50 $3,116.00 – $17,510.00
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City $11,381.50 $3,116.00 – $17,510.00
UnityPoint Health - Finley Hospital Dubuque $6,232.00 $3.50 – $7,166.80
UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Regional Medical Center Grinnell $6,232.00 $1,869.60 – $4,362.69
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines $6,232.00 $1,869.60 – $4,362.69
UnityPoint Health - Jones Regional Medical Center Anamosa $6,232.00 $1,869.60 – $4,362.69

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →