MRI brain with and without contrast in Iowa
Below is what hospitals in Iowa charge if you pay cash, and the typical rate insurers negotiated.
Cash prices at 31 hospitals in Iowa run from $236 to $6,896. The typical hospital charges $1,998. Where a hospital sits on this scale matters more than the number alone:
typical: $1,998
Cheaper than most hospitalsPricier than most hospitals
32 hospitals. Sort by: Cash price ▲ · Negotiated median · Gross charge · Negotiated low
What these numbers mean.
Cash price is what the hospital lists for patients paying out of pocket.
Negotiated median is the middle of what insurance companies actually agreed to pay.
Gross charge is the sticker price — almost nobody pays it.
What you will actually pay is usually different from both numbers:
with insurance, your deductible, copay, or coinsurance decides what you owe —
the negotiated rate is what the insurer pays, not your bill.
A single line item may not be the whole cost: physician, anesthesia, pathology,
and facility fees can be billed separately.
Prices vary by hospital and change over time; always confirm with the hospital before you go.
| Hospital | Cash price | Where it sits | Insurance pays (typical) | Gross charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center IA · Price file March 31, 2026 | $236Insurance typically pays $114Sticker price $236 | Lowest price of any hospital | $114 | $236 |
| Finley Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $810Insurance typically pays $344Sticker price $1,013 | Cheaper than 97% of hospitals | $344 | $1,013 |
| Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $810Insurance typically pays $344Sticker price $1,013 | Cheaper than 97% of hospitals | $344 | $1,013 |
| Trinity Muscatine IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $810Insurance typically pays $344Sticker price $1,013 | Cheaper than 97% of hospitals | $344 | $1,013 |
| Jones Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $810Insurance typically pays $344Sticker price $1,013 | Cheaper than 97% of hospitals | $344 | $1,013 |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $810Insurance typically pays $344Sticker price $1,013 | Cheaper than 97% of hospitals | $344 | $1,013 |
| St Lukes Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $810Insurance typically pays $344Sticker price $1,013 | Cheaper than 97% of hospitals | $344 | $1,013 |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $810Insurance typically pays $344Sticker price $1,013 | Cheaper than 97% of hospitals | $344 | $1,013 |
| Unitypoint Health - Marshalltown IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $810Insurance typically pays $344Sticker price $1,013 | Cheaper than 97% of hospitals | $344 | $1,013 |
| Trinity Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $810Insurance typically pays $344Sticker price $1,013 | Cheaper than 97% of hospitals | $344 | $1,013 |
| Allen Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $810Insurance typically pays $344Sticker price $1,013 | Cheaper than 97% of hospitals | $344 | $1,013 |
| Van Diest Medical Center IA · Price file November 12, 2022 | $1,019Insurance typically pays $1,147Sticker price $1,274 | Cheaper than 63% of hospitals | $1,147 | $1,274 |
| Univ Of Iowa Health Network Rehab Hosp Manchester, IA | $1,027Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $1,369 | Cheaper than 60% of hospitals | — | $1,369 |
| Orange City Area Health System IA · Price file September 23, 2026 | $1,278Insurance typically pays $754Sticker price $1,597 | Cheaper than 57% of hospitals | $754 | $1,597 |
| Jefferson County Health Center IA · Price file August 20, 2026 | $1,831Insurance typically pays $1,190Sticker price $3,052 | Cheaper than 53% of hospitals | $1,190 | $3,052 |
| Iowa Specialty Hospital - Belmond IA · Price file April 22, 2026 | $1,998Insurance typically pays $908Sticker price $3,330 | Cheaper than 50% of hospitals | $908 | $3,330 |
| Grundy County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file June 29, 2026 | $2,221Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $2,776 | Pricier than 53% of hospitals | — | $2,776 |
| Stewart Memorial Community Hospital IA | $2,289Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $2,861 | Pricier than 57% of hospitals | — | $2,861 |
| Iowa Specialty Hospital - Clarion IA · Price file June 11, 2026 | $2,320Insurance typically pays $908Sticker price $3,868 | Pricier than 60% of hospitals | $908 | $3,868 |
| Hawarden Regional Healthcare IA | $2,424Insurance typically pays $2,182Sticker price $2,852 | Pricier than 63% of hospitals | $2,182 | $2,852 |
| Myrtue Medical Center IA · Price file April 21, 2026 | $2,544Insurance typically pays $2,083Sticker price $4,387 | Pricier than 67% of hospitals | $2,083 | $4,387 |
| Shenandoah Medical Center IA · Price file September 21, 2026 | $2,805Insurance typically pays $1,510Sticker price $4,315 | Pricier than 70% of hospitals | $1,510 | $4,315 |
| Cass County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file June 1, 2026 | $2,941Insurance typically pays $1,782Sticker price $4,202 | Pricier than 73% of hospitals | $1,782 | $4,202 |
| Manning Regional Healthcare Center IA · Price file October 16, 2026 | $3,035Insurance typically pays $3,182Sticker price $4,274 | Pricier than 77% of hospitals | $3,182 | $4,274 |
| Virginia Gay Hospital IA · Price file August 13, 2026 | $3,479Insurance typically pays $1,996Sticker price $4,348 | Pricier than 80% of hospitals | $1,996 | $4,348 |
| Crawford County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file July 27, 2026 | $3,726Insurance typically pays $3,958Sticker price $4,657 | Pricier than 83% of hospitals | $3,958 | $4,657 |
| Boone County Hospital IA · Price file July 27, 2026 | $3,776Insurance typically pays $1,982Sticker price $4,720 | Pricier than 87% of hospitals | $1,982 | $4,720 |
| Adair County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file September 2, 2026 | $4,215Insurance typically pays $3,653Sticker price $5,620 | Pricier than 90% of hospitals | $3,653 | $5,620 |
| Guthrie County Hospital IA · Price file September 26, 2026 | $4,643Insurance typically pays $3,111Sticker price $4,643 | Pricier than 93% of hospitals | $3,111 | $4,643 |
| Madison County Health Care System IA · Price file October 21, 2026 | $5,090Insurance typically pays $4,135Sticker price $6,362 | Pricier than 97% of hospitals | $4,135 | $6,362 |
| St Anthony Regional Hospital & Nursing Home IA · Price file November 3, 2026 | $6,896Insurance typically pays $2,827Sticker price $6,896 | Highest price of any hospital | $2,827 | $6,896 |
| Ottumwa Regional Health Center IA · Price file July 23, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $8,922 | — | — | $8,922 |
Procedure code 70553. Prices are from each hospital's own published price file — see methodology.