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Alpha-fetoprotein tumor marker at MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center

1755 59th Place, West Des Moines, IA · MercyOne · · NPI 1538395975

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 31, 2026 · Ingested Aug 3, 2026

$206.00

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.

$206.00

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.

$16.25 with IOWA TOTAL CARE vs $206.00 with CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE — 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 $16.25 ↓ -92%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $16.41 ↓ -92%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $16.43 ↓ -92%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $16.43 ↓ -92%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $16.43 ↓ -92%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $16.47 ↓ -92%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $16.60 ↓ -92%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $16.76 ↓ -92%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $16.77 ↓ -92%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $16.77 ↓ -92%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $16.94 ↓ -92%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $17.11 ↓ -92%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $22.30 ↓ -89%
OSCAR OSCAR $23.83 ↓ -88%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $24.20 ↓ -88%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $28.17 ↓ -86%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $33.71 ↓ -84%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $33.71 ↓ -84%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $41.41 ↓ -80%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $41.41 ↓ -80%
AETNA AETNA $71.48 ↓ -65%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $71.48 ↓ -65%
COVENTRY AETNA $71.48 ↓ -65%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $71.48 ↓ -65%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $71.48 ↓ -65%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $71.48 ↓ -65%
MERITAIN AETNA $71.48 ↓ -65%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $71.48 ↓ -65%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $71.48 ↓ -65%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $71.48 ↓ -65%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $71.48 ↓ -65%
WEBTPA AETNA $71.48 ↓ -65%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $71.48 ↓ -65%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $71.48 ↓ -65%
CIGNA EAP CIGNA $123.60 ↓ -40%
CIGNA CIGNA $123.60 ↓ -40%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $130.81 ↓ -37%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $133.90 ↓ -35%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $133.90 ↓ -35%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $133.90 ↓ -35%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $133.90 ↓ -35%
USA MANAGED CARE USA MANAGED CARE $175.10 ↓ -15%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $206.00 ↑ +0%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $206.00 ↑ +0%

Visitor-reported prices

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Alpha-fetoprotein tumor marker at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $132.60 $16.77 – $16.77
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $261.30 $16.25 – $184.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $129.35 $78.78 – $199.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $129.35 $75.22 – $223.99
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $155.35 $16.25 – $184.00
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $129.35 $76.06 – $199.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $198.90 $16.25 – $306.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $1,956.00 $9.09 – $207.99

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →