Infectious agent nucleic acid respiratory virus multiplex amplified probe 3-5 targets 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

$392.00

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.

$392.00

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.

$78.79 with HEALTH CHOICES vs $392.00 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 $78.79 ↓ -80%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $78.79 ↓ -80%
COVENTRY AETNA $136.02 ↓ -65%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $136.02 ↓ -65%
WEBTPA AETNA $136.02 ↓ -65%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $136.02 ↓ -65%
1199 NATIONAL BENEFIT FUND AETNA $136.02 ↓ -65%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $136.02 ↓ -65%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $136.02 ↓ -65%
MERITAIN AETNA $136.02 ↓ -65%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $136.02 ↓ -65%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $136.02 ↓ -65%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $136.02 ↓ -65%
TRUSTMARK SMALL BUSINESS BENEFITS AETNA $136.02 ↓ -65%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $136.02 ↓ -65%
AETNA AETNA $136.02 ↓ -65%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $138.21 ↓ -65%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $139.57 ↓ -64%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $139.78 ↓ -64%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $139.78 ↓ -64%
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $139.78 ↓ -64%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $140.11 ↓ -64%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $141.18 ↓ -64%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $142.57 ↓ -64%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $142.63 ↓ -64%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $142.63 ↓ -64%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $144.06 ↓ -63%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $145.48 ↓ -63%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $189.70 ↓ -52%
OSCAR OSCAR $202.68 ↓ -48%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $205.82 ↓ -47%
CIGNA CIGNA $235.20 ↓ -40%
CIGNA EAP CIGNA $235.20 ↓ -40%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $239.62 ↓ -39%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $248.92 ↓ -37%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $254.80 ↓ -35%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $254.80 ↓ -35%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $254.80 ↓ -35%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $254.80 ↓ -35%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $286.69 ↓ -27%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $286.69 ↓ -27%
USA MANAGED CARE USA MANAGED CARE $333.20 ↓ -15%
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE CRIME VICTIMS $392.00 ↑ +0%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $392.00 ↑ +0%

Visitor-reported prices

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Infectious agent nucleic acid respiratory virus multiplex amplified probe 3-5 targets at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $309.40 $138.21 – $476.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $287.30 $174.99 – $442.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $287.30 $167.08 – $497.52
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $309.40 $134.71 – $476.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $309.40 $111.86 – $476.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $287.30 $227.50 – $461.98
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $254.80 $78.79 – $392.00
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $442.00 $121.28 – $442.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →