CT scan of the head with and without contrast cost in Iowa

Prices at 50 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,799 — 9% above the US median ($1,646), roughly 10.4× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down Iowa City, IA $276 $335 ★ 4/5 157 min 15.0%
University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics Iowa City, IA $276 $335 ★ 2/5 210 min 13.5%
Spencer Municipal Hospital Spencer, IA $704 $798 ★ 4/5 118 min 14.4%
Methodist Jennie Edmundson Council Bluffs, IA $806 $444 ★ 3/5 149 min 15.8%
Greater Regional Medical Center Creston, IA $810 $1,350 ★ 3/5 98 min 14.5%
St Lukes Hospital Cedar Rapids, IA $843 $166 ★ 4/5 168 min 15.1%
St Lukes Regional Medical Center Sioux City, IA $843 $166 ★ 2/5 180 min 15.6%
Lakes Regional Healthcare Spirit Lake, IA $1,058 $835 ★ 2/5 125 min 14.4%
CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA $1,105 $419 ★ 5/5 169 min 15.1%
Humboldt County Memorial Hospital Humboldt, IA $1,117 $966 96 min 14.8%
Clarke County Hospital Osceola, IA $1,255 $301 ★ 5/5 104 min 14.8%
Cherokee Regional Medical Center Cherokee, IA $1,260 $1,400 ★ 2/5 132 min 14.8%
Greene County Medical Center Jefferson, IA $1,280 $2,172 109 min 15.0%
Van Diest Medical Center Webster City, IA $1,303 $1,140 ★ 5/5 104 min 14.4%
Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Storm Lake, IA $1,370 $1,662 ★ 2/5 151 min 15.0%
Community Memorial Hospital Medical Center Sumner, IA $1,412 118 min 14.7%
Ringgold County Hospital Mount Ayr, IA $1,525 $1,618 140 min 14.7%
Finley Hospital Dubuque, IA $1,624 $179 ★ 3/5 114 min 16.0%
Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA $1,675 $179 ★ 1/5 250 min 13.6%
Regional Medical Center Manchester, IA $1,743 $870 ★ 4/5 147 min 14.3%
Mercyone Newton Medical Center Newton, IA $1,747 $179 ★ 4/5 158 min 13.4%
Mercy Medical Center-New Hampton New Hampton, IA $1,747 $2,540 109 min 15.5%
Mercyone Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein, IA $1,747 $2,470 144 min 14.7%
Unitypoint Health-Marshalltown Marshalltown, IA $1,799 $173 ★ 3/5 154 min 15.2%
Allen Hospital Waterloo, IA $1,799 $167 ★ 3/5 159 min 15.6%

CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated June 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.

Price comparison (median)

Chargemaster (list price)
$2,604
Cash / self-pay
$1,799
Insurer-negotiated
$621
Medicare pays
$173
$836$2,483
Median cash $1,799  ·  Medicare $173  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,799 — about 10.4× the Medicare rate ($173). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($346).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $2,604 list price could save about $805 (31%).

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Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

CT scan of the head with and without contrast cost in other states

All CT scan of the head with and without contrast prices (national) → · All hospitals in Iowa →