Emergency room visit (high severity) 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 $161 to $1,325. The typical hospital charges $266. Where a hospital sits on this scale matters more than the number alone:
typical: $266
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 | $161Insurance typically pays $204Sticker price $269 | Lowest price of any hospital | $204 | $269 |
| Iowa Specialty Hospital - Belmond IA · Price file April 22, 2026 | $163Insurance typically pays $205Sticker price $271 | Cheaper than 97% of hospitals | $205 | $271 |
| Madison County Health Care System IA · Price file October 21, 2026 | $185Insurance typically pays $219Sticker price $231 | Cheaper than 93% of hospitals | $219 | $231 |
| Shenandoah Medical Center IA · Price file September 21, 2026 | $194Insurance typically pays $298Sticker price $298 | Cheaper than 90% of hospitals | $298 | $298 |
| Allen Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $221Insurance typically pays $410Sticker price $276 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $410 | $276 |
| Finley Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $221Insurance typically pays $410Sticker price $276 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $410 | $276 |
| Trinity Muscatine IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $221Insurance typically pays $410Sticker price $276 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $410 | $276 |
| Jones Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $221Insurance typically pays $410Sticker price $276 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $410 | $276 |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $221Insurance typically pays $410Sticker price $276 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $410 | $276 |
| St Lukes Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $221Insurance typically pays $410Sticker price $276 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $410 | $276 |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $221Insurance typically pays $410Sticker price $276 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $410 | $276 |
| Unitypoint Health - Marshalltown IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $221Insurance typically pays $410Sticker price $276 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $410 | $276 |
| Trinity Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $221Insurance typically pays $410Sticker price $276 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $410 | $276 |
| Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $221Insurance typically pays $410Sticker price $276 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $410 | $276 |
| Guthrie County Hospital IA · Price file September 26, 2026 | $256Insurance typically pays $112Sticker price $256 | Cheaper than 53% of hospitals | $112 | $256 |
| Myrtue Medical Center IA · Price file April 21, 2026 | $266Insurance typically pays $243Sticker price $459 | Cheaper than 50% of hospitals | $243 | $459 |
| Cass County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file June 1, 2026 | $283Insurance typically pays $358Sticker price $404 | Pricier than 53% of hospitals | $358 | $404 |
| Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center IA · Price file March 31, 2026 | $284Insurance typically pays $198Sticker price $284 | Pricier than 57% of hospitals | $198 | $284 |
| Knoxville Hospital & Clinics IA · Price file January 24, 2026 | $326Insurance typically pays $239Sticker price $543 | Pricier than 60% of hospitals | $239 | $543 |
| Orange City Area Health System IA · Price file September 23, 2026 | $402Insurance typically pays $296Sticker price $502 | Pricier than 63% of hospitals | $296 | $502 |
| Manning Regional Healthcare Center IA · Price file October 16, 2026 | $408Insurance typically pays $548Sticker price $574 | Pricier than 67% of hospitals | $548 | $574 |
| Stewart Memorial Community Hospital IA | $415Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $519 | Pricier than 70% of hospitals | — | $519 |
| Boone County Hospital IA · Price file July 27, 2026 | $424Insurance typically pays $166Sticker price $530 | Pricier than 73% of hospitals | $166 | $530 |
| Jefferson County Health Center IA · Price file August 20, 2026 | $432Insurance typically pays $312Sticker price $720 | Pricier than 77% of hospitals | $312 | $720 |
| Virginia Gay Hospital IA · Price file August 13, 2026 | $438Insurance typically pays $224Sticker price $547 | Pricier than 80% of hospitals | $224 | $547 |
| Hawarden Regional Healthcare IA | $488Insurance typically pays $442Sticker price $574 | Pricier than 83% of hospitals | $442 | $574 |
| Crawford County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file July 27, 2026 | $568Insurance typically pays $406Sticker price $710 | Pricier than 87% of hospitals | $406 | $710 |
| Van Diest Medical Center IA · Price file November 12, 2022 | $569Insurance typically pays $569Sticker price $711 | Pricier than 90% of hospitals | $569 | $711 |
| Adair County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file September 2, 2026 | $859Insurance typically pays $694Sticker price $1,145 | Pricier than 93% of hospitals | $694 | $1,145 |
| Grundy County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file June 29, 2026 | $938Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $1,173 | Pricier than 97% of hospitals | — | $1,173 |
| St Anthony Regional Hospital & Nursing Home IA · Price file November 3, 2026 | $1,325Insurance typically pays $490Sticker price $1,325 | Highest price of any hospital | $490 | $1,325 |
| Ottumwa Regional Health Center IA · Price file July 23, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $2,804 | — | — | $2,804 |
Procedure code 99284. Prices are from each hospital's own published price file — see methodology.