Prices at 18 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $4,667 — 35% below the US median ($7,143), roughly 5.2× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs, IA | $1,711 | $3,991 | ★ 3/5 | 149 min | 15.8% |
| Unitypoint Health-Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi | Des Moines, IA | $2,334 | $2,143 | ★ 3/5 | 188 min | 13.5% |
| Finley Hospital | Dubuque, IA | $2,334 | $2,131 | ★ 3/5 | 114 min | 16.0% |
| Jones Regional Medical Center | Anamosa, IA | $2,334 | $1,801 | ★ 4/5 | 113 min | 14.7% |
| Jackson County Regional Health Center | Maquoketa, IA | $3,346 | $967 | — | 80 min | 15.1% |
| Unitypoint Health-Marshalltown | Marshalltown, IA | $4,667 | $2,119 | ★ 3/5 | 154 min | 15.2% |
| Trinity Muscatine | Muscatine, IA | $4,667 | $2,119 | ★ 4/5 | 135 min | 13.9% |
| Trinity Regional Medical Center | Fort Dodge, IA | $4,667 | $2,143 | ★ 2/5 | 168 min | 15.2% |
| St Lukes Hospital | Cedar Rapids, IA | $4,667 | $2,119 | ★ 4/5 | 168 min | 15.1% |
| Trinity-Bettendorf | Bettendorf, IA | $4,667 | $2,143 | ★ 3/5 | 210 min | 15.2% |
| Allen Hospital | Waterloo, IA | $4,667 | $2,143 | ★ 3/5 | 159 min | 15.6% |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center | Sioux City, IA | $4,667 | $2,119 | ★ 2/5 | 180 min | 15.6% |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center | Grinnell, IA | $4,667 | $2,119 | ★ 2/5 | 104 min | 14.9% |
| University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down | Iowa City, IA | $5,058 | $2,618 | ★ 4/5 | 157 min | 15.0% |
| University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics | Iowa City, IA | $5,058 | $2,618 | ★ 2/5 | 210 min | 13.5% |
| Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center | Dubuque, IA | $31,331 | $7 | ★ 3/5 | 212 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)
Typical cash price here is $4,667 — about 5.2× the Medicare rate ($898). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($1,796).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $5,834 list price could save about $1,167 (20%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Lumbar discectomy cost in other states
All Lumbar discectomy prices (national) → · All hospitals in Iowa →