Emergency room visit, high complexity 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 $202 to $1,286. The typical hospital charges $389. Where a hospital sits on this scale matters more than the number alone:
typical: $389
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 | $202Insurance typically pays $283Sticker price $336 | Lowest price of any hospital | $283 | $336 |
| Iowa Specialty Hospital - Belmond IA · Price file April 22, 2026 | $239Insurance typically pays $300Sticker price $399 | Cheaper than 97% of hospitals | $300 | $399 |
| Madison County Health Care System IA · Price file October 21, 2026 | $269Insurance typically pays $319Sticker price $336 | Cheaper than 93% of hospitals | $319 | $336 |
| Shenandoah Medical Center IA · Price file September 21, 2026 | $281Insurance typically pays $432Sticker price $432 | Cheaper than 90% of hospitals | $432 | $432 |
| Allen Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $319Insurance typically pays $591Sticker price $399 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $591 | $399 |
| Finley Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $319Insurance typically pays $591Sticker price $399 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $591 | $399 |
| Trinity Muscatine IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $319Insurance typically pays $591Sticker price $399 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $591 | $399 |
| Jones Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $319Insurance typically pays $591Sticker price $399 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $591 | $399 |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $319Insurance typically pays $591Sticker price $399 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $591 | $399 |
| St Lukes Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $319Insurance typically pays $591Sticker price $399 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $591 | $399 |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $319Insurance typically pays $591Sticker price $399 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $591 | $399 |
| Unitypoint Health - Marshalltown IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $319Insurance typically pays $591Sticker price $399 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $591 | $399 |
| Trinity Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $319Insurance typically pays $591Sticker price $399 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $591 | $399 |
| Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $319Insurance typically pays $591Sticker price $399 | Cheaper than 87% of hospitals | $591 | $399 |
| St Anthony Regional Hospital & Nursing Home IA · Price file November 3, 2026 | $348Insurance typically pays $348Sticker price $348 | Cheaper than 53% of hospitals | $348 | $348 |
| Guthrie County Hospital IA · Price file September 26, 2026 | $389Insurance typically pays $163Sticker price $389 | Cheaper than 50% of hospitals | $163 | $389 |
| Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center IA · Price file March 31, 2026 | $412Insurance typically pays $367Sticker price $412 | Pricier than 53% of hospitals | $367 | $412 |
| Knoxville Hospital & Clinics IA · Price file January 24, 2026 | $478Insurance typically pays $351Sticker price $797 | Pricier than 57% of hospitals | $351 | $797 |
| Cass County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file June 1, 2026 | $484Insurance typically pays $515Sticker price $692 | Pricier than 60% of hospitals | $515 | $692 |
| Myrtue Medical Center IA · Price file April 21, 2026 | $577Insurance typically pays $527Sticker price $995 | Pricier than 63% of hospitals | $527 | $995 |
| Stewart Memorial Community Hospital IA | $601Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $751 | Pricier than 67% of hospitals | — | $751 |
| Manning Regional Healthcare Center IA · Price file October 16, 2026 | $605Insurance typically pays $876Sticker price $903 | Pricier than 70% of hospitals | $876 | $903 |
| Boone County Hospital IA · Price file July 27, 2026 | $635Insurance typically pays $273Sticker price $794 | Pricier than 73% of hospitals | $273 | $794 |
| Orange City Area Health System IA · Price file September 23, 2026 | $647Insurance typically pays $474Sticker price $808 | Pricier than 77% of hospitals | $474 | $808 |
| Virginia Gay Hospital IA · Price file August 13, 2026 | $653Insurance typically pays $330Sticker price $817 | Pricier than 80% of hospitals | $330 | $817 |
| Jefferson County Health Center IA · Price file August 20, 2026 | $753Insurance typically pays $585Sticker price $1,255 | Pricier than 83% of hospitals | $585 | $1,255 |
| Hawarden Regional Healthcare IA | $770Insurance typically pays $693Sticker price $905 | Pricier than 87% of hospitals | $693 | $905 |
| Van Diest Medical Center IA · Price file November 12, 2022 | $834Insurance typically pays $834Sticker price $1,042 | Pricier than 90% of hospitals | $834 | $1,042 |
| Crawford County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file July 27, 2026 | $841Insurance typically pays $647Sticker price $1,051 | Pricier than 93% of hospitals | $647 | $1,051 |
| Adair County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file September 2, 2026 | $1,256Insurance typically pays $1,030Sticker price $1,675 | Pricier than 97% of hospitals | $1,030 | $1,675 |
| Grundy County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file June 29, 2026 | $1,286Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $1,607 | Highest price of any hospital | — | $1,607 |
| Ottumwa Regional Health Center IA · Price file July 23, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $4,165 | — | — | $4,165 |
Procedure code 99285. Prices are from each hospital's own published price file — see methodology.