Emergency room visit, minor 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 $24 to $353. The typical hospital charges $66. Where a hospital sits on this scale matters more than the number alone:
typical: $66
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 | $24Insurance typically pays $19Sticker price $24 | Lowest price of any hospital | $19 | $24 |
| Madison County Health Care System IA · Price file October 21, 2026 | $33Insurance typically pays $39Sticker price $41 | Cheaper than 97% of hospitals | $39 | $41 |
| Allen Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $44Insurance typically pays $90Sticker price $55 | Cheaper than 93% of hospitals | $90 | $55 |
| Finley Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $44Insurance typically pays $90Sticker price $55 | Cheaper than 93% of hospitals | $90 | $55 |
| Trinity Muscatine IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $44Insurance typically pays $90Sticker price $55 | Cheaper than 93% of hospitals | $90 | $55 |
| Jones Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $44Insurance typically pays $90Sticker price $55 | Cheaper than 93% of hospitals | $90 | $55 |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $44Insurance typically pays $90Sticker price $55 | Cheaper than 93% of hospitals | $90 | $55 |
| St Lukes Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $44Insurance typically pays $90Sticker price $55 | Cheaper than 93% of hospitals | $90 | $55 |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $44Insurance typically pays $90Sticker price $55 | Cheaper than 93% of hospitals | $90 | $55 |
| Unitypoint Health - Marshalltown IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $44Insurance typically pays $90Sticker price $55 | Cheaper than 93% of hospitals | $90 | $55 |
| Trinity Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $44Insurance typically pays $90Sticker price $55 | Cheaper than 93% of hospitals | $90 | $55 |
| Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $44Insurance typically pays $90Sticker price $55 | Cheaper than 93% of hospitals | $90 | $55 |
| Guthrie County Hospital IA · Price file September 26, 2026 | $55Insurance typically pays $28Sticker price $55 | Cheaper than 60% of hospitals | $28 | $55 |
| Jefferson County Health Center IA · Price file August 20, 2026 | $61Insurance typically pays $39Sticker price $101 | Cheaper than 57% of hospitals | $39 | $101 |
| Orange City Area Health System IA · Price file September 23, 2026 | $65Insurance typically pays $49Sticker price $82 | Cheaper than 53% of hospitals | $49 | $82 |
| Stewart Memorial Community Hospital IA | $66Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $82 | Cheaper than 50% of hospitals | — | $82 |
| Cass County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file June 1, 2026 | $71Insurance typically pays $46Sticker price $102 | Pricier than 53% of hospitals | $46 | $102 |
| Shenandoah Medical Center IA · Price file September 21, 2026 | $79Insurance typically pays $11Sticker price $122 | Pricier than 57% of hospitals | $11 | $122 |
| Myrtue Medical Center IA · Price file April 21, 2026 | $92Insurance typically pays $84Sticker price $158 | Pricier than 60% of hospitals | $84 | $158 |
| Manning Regional Healthcare Center IA · Price file October 16, 2026 | $93Insurance typically pays $36Sticker price $139 | Pricier than 63% of hospitals | $36 | $139 |
| Boone County Hospital IA · Price file July 27, 2026 | $99Insurance typically pays $17Sticker price $124 | Pricier than 67% of hospitals | $17 | $124 |
| Hawarden Regional Healthcare IA | $103Insurance typically pays $93Sticker price $121 | Pricier than 70% of hospitals | $93 | $121 |
| Knoxville Hospital & Clinics IA · Price file January 24, 2026 | $112Insurance typically pays $83Sticker price $187 | Pricier than 73% of hospitals | $83 | $187 |
| Adair County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file September 2, 2026 | $135Insurance typically pays $135Sticker price $180 | Pricier than 77% of hospitals | $135 | $180 |
| Van Diest Medical Center IA · Price file November 12, 2022 | $143Insurance typically pays $143Sticker price $179 | Pricier than 80% of hospitals | $143 | $179 |
| Virginia Gay Hospital IA · Price file August 13, 2026 | $144Insurance typically pays $40Sticker price $180 | Pricier than 83% of hospitals | $40 | $180 |
| Crawford County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file July 27, 2026 | $156Insurance typically pays $96Sticker price $196 | Pricier than 87% of hospitals | $96 | $196 |
| Grundy County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file June 29, 2026 | $202Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $253 | Pricier than 90% of hospitals | — | $253 |
| Iowa Specialty Hospital - Belmond IA · Price file April 22, 2026 | $260Insurance typically pays $250Sticker price $433 | Pricier than 93% of hospitals | $250 | $433 |
| Iowa Specialty Hospital - Clarion IA · Price file June 11, 2026 | $260Insurance typically pays $242Sticker price $433 | Pricier than 93% of hospitals | $242 | $433 |
| St Anthony Regional Hospital & Nursing Home IA · Price file November 3, 2026 | $353Insurance typically pays $137Sticker price $353 | Highest price of any hospital | $137 | $353 |
| Ottumwa Regional Health Center IA · Price file July 23, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $510 | — | — | $510 |
Procedure code 99281. Prices are from each hospital's own published price file — see methodology.