External chromosome analysis 20-25 cells 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

$612.00

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.

$612.00

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.

$123.01 with HEALTH CHOICES vs $612.00 with IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH — 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
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $123.01 ↓ -80%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $123.01 ↓ -80%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $140.13 ↓ -77%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $141.50 ↓ -77%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $141.72 ↓ -77%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $141.72 ↓ -77%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $141.72 ↓ -77%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $142.05 ↓ -77%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $143.13 ↓ -77%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $144.55 ↓ -76%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $144.61 ↓ -76%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $144.61 ↓ -76%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $146.06 ↓ -76%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $147.50 ↓ -76%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $192.33 ↓ -69%
OSCAR OSCAR $205.49 ↓ -66%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $208.67 ↓ -66%
AETNA AETNA $212.36 ↓ -65%
COVENTRY AETNA $212.36 ↓ -65%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $212.36 ↓ -65%
MERITAIN AETNA $212.36 ↓ -65%
WEBTPA AETNA $212.36 ↓ -65%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $212.36 ↓ -65%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $212.36 ↓ -65%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $212.36 ↓ -65%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $212.36 ↓ -65%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $212.36 ↓ -65%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $212.36 ↓ -65%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $212.36 ↓ -65%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $212.36 ↓ -65%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $212.36 ↓ -65%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $242.94 ↓ -60%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $290.67 ↓ -53%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $290.67 ↓ -53%
CIGNA EAP CIGNA $367.20 ↓ -40%
CIGNA CIGNA $367.20 ↓ -40%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $388.62 ↓ -37%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $397.80 ↓ -35%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $397.80 ↓ -35%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $397.80 ↓ -35%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $397.80 ↓ -35%
USA MANAGED CARE USA MANAGED CARE $520.20 ↓ -15%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $612.00 ↑ +0%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $612.00 ↑ +0%

Visitor-reported prices

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External chromosome analysis 20-25 cells at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $331.50 $140.13 – $510.00
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $159.25 $69.34 – $290.67
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $159.25 $49.25 – $290.67
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $722.00 $198.12 – $722.00
MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton $469.30 $140.13 – $722.00
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City $368.55 $140.13 – $567.00
MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo $172.25 $62.28 – $393.51
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $363.20 $90.41 – $202.47

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →