Str markers specimen anal at UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital

1825 Logan Avenue, Waterloo, IA · UnityPoint Health · · NPI 1336231091

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Jan 28, 2026 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$483.20

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.

$604.00

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.

$131.73 with Medica Exchange Inspire vs $396.22 with Aetna — 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
Medica Exchange Inspire Commercial $131.73 ↓ -73%
United Healthcare PPO $139.84 ↓ -71%
United Healthcare HMO $139.84 ↓ -71%
Medica Exchange Insure Commercial $147.39 ↓ -69%
Cigna/Midlands Commercial $180.95 ↓ -63%
Wellmark UPH Self-Funded Commercial $233.07 ↓ -52%
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMO $233.07 ↓ -52%
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield PPO $233.07 ↓ -52%
Molina Medicare Advantage $237.73 ↓ -51%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $237.73 ↓ -51%
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicare Advantage $237.73 ↓ -51%
Humana Medicare Advantage $244.72 ↓ -49%
Amerivantage Medicare Advantage $244.72 ↓ -49%
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage $244.72 ↓ -49%
Health Partners Open Network Commercial $334.54 ↓ -31%
Aetna PPO $396.22 ↓ -18%
Aetna HMO $396.22 ↓ -18%
Amerigroup Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Iowa Total Care Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Str markers specimen anal at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo $1,240.85 $228.41 – $1,909.00
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $1,240.85 $228.41 – $1,909.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $1,240.85 $228.41 – $1,909.00
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City $1,240.85 $228.41 – $1,909.00
UnityPoint Health - Finley Hospital Dubuque $483.20 $3.50 – $334.54
UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Regional Medical Center Grinnell $483.20 $88.38 – $244.72
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines $483.20 $73.28 – $334.54
UnityPoint Health - Jones Regional Medical Center Anamosa $483.20 $111.26 – $248.08

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →