Emergency room visit, moderate 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 $94 to $573. The typical hospital charges $145. Where a hospital sits on this scale matters more than the number alone:
typical: $145
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Specialty Hospital - Clarion IA · Price file June 11, 2026 | $94Insurance typically pays $113Sticker price $157 | Lowest price of any hospital | $113 | $157 |
| Madison County Health Care System IA · Price file October 21, 2026 | $110Insurance typically pays $131Sticker price $138 | Cheaper than 97% of hospitals | $131 | $138 |
| Iowa Specialty Hospital - Belmond IA · Price file April 22, 2026 | $118Insurance typically pays $138Sticker price $197 | Cheaper than 93% of hospitals | $138 | $197 |
| Boone County Hospital IA · Price file July 27, 2026 | $120Insurance typically pays $107Sticker price $150 | Cheaper than 90% of hospitals | $107 | $150 |
| Allen Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $130Insurance typically pays $267Sticker price $162 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $267 | $162 |
| Finley Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $130Insurance typically pays $267Sticker price $162 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $267 | $162 |
| Trinity Muscatine IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $130Insurance typically pays $267Sticker price $162 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $267 | $162 |
| Jones Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $130Insurance typically pays $267Sticker price $162 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $267 | $162 |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $130Insurance typically pays $267Sticker price $162 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $267 | $162 |
| St Lukes Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $130Insurance typically pays $267Sticker price $162 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $267 | $162 |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $130Insurance typically pays $267Sticker price $162 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $267 | $162 |
| Unitypoint Health - Marshalltown IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $130Insurance typically pays $267Sticker price $162 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $267 | $162 |
| Trinity Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $130Insurance typically pays $267Sticker price $162 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $267 | $162 |
| Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $130Insurance typically pays $267Sticker price $162 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $267 | $162 |
| St Anthony Regional Hospital & Nursing Home IA · Price file November 3, 2026 | $142Insurance typically pays $142Sticker price $142 | Cheaper than 53% of hospitals | $142 | $142 |
| Shenandoah Medical Center IA · Price file September 21, 2026 | $145Insurance typically pays $218Sticker price $223 | Cheaper than 50% of hospitals | $218 | $223 |
| Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center IA · Price file March 31, 2026 | $156Insurance typically pays $64Sticker price $156 | Pricier than 53% of hospitals | $64 | $156 |
| Guthrie County Hospital IA · Price file September 26, 2026 | $169Insurance typically pays $66Sticker price $169 | Pricier than 57% of hospitals | $66 | $169 |
| Myrtue Medical Center IA · Price file April 21, 2026 | $191Insurance typically pays $174Sticker price $329 | Pricier than 60% of hospitals | $174 | $329 |
| Cass County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file June 1, 2026 | $192Insurance typically pays $233Sticker price $275 | Pricier than 63% of hospitals | $233 | $275 |
| Knoxville Hospital & Clinics IA · Price file January 24, 2026 | $223Insurance typically pays $164Sticker price $372 | Pricier than 67% of hospitals | $164 | $372 |
| Manning Regional Healthcare Center IA · Price file October 16, 2026 | $230Insurance typically pays $314Sticker price $343 | Pricier than 70% of hospitals | $314 | $343 |
| Jefferson County Health Center IA · Price file August 20, 2026 | $250Insurance typically pays $197Sticker price $416 | Pricier than 73% of hospitals | $197 | $416 |
| Virginia Gay Hospital IA · Price file August 13, 2026 | $275Insurance typically pays $118Sticker price $344 | Pricier than 77% of hospitals | $118 | $344 |
| Orange City Area Health System IA · Price file September 23, 2026 | $280Insurance typically pays $195Sticker price $350 | Pricier than 80% of hospitals | $195 | $350 |
| Hawarden Regional Healthcare IA | $286Insurance typically pays $263Sticker price $336 | Pricier than 83% of hospitals | $263 | $336 |
| Stewart Memorial Community Hospital IA | $288Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $360 | Pricier than 87% of hospitals | — | $360 |
| Van Diest Medical Center IA · Price file November 12, 2022 | $350Insurance typically pays $350Sticker price $438 | Pricier than 90% of hospitals | $350 | $438 |
| Crawford County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file July 27, 2026 | $364Insurance typically pays $260Sticker price $456 | Pricier than 93% of hospitals | $260 | $456 |
| Adair County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file September 2, 2026 | $544Insurance typically pays $437Sticker price $725 | Pricier than 97% of hospitals | $437 | $725 |
| Grundy County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file June 29, 2026 | $573Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $716 | Highest price of any hospital | — | $716 |
| Ottumwa Regional Health Center IA · Price file July 23, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $1,736 | — | — | $1,736 |
Procedure code 99283. Prices are from each hospital's own published price file — see methodology.