Prices at 52 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $300 — 11% below the US median ($338), roughly 2.3× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humboldt County Memorial Hospital | Humboldt, IA | $88 | $94 | — | 100 min | — |
| Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinics | West Union, IA | $134 | $213 | ★ 5/5 | 85 min | — |
| Jones Regional Medical Center | Anamosa, IA | $145 | $143 | ★ 4/5 | 116 min | — |
| Community Memorial Hospital Medical Center | Sumner, IA | $145 | $132 | — | 132 min | — |
| CHI Health-Mercy Corning | Corning, IA | $146 | $254 | ★ 3/5 | 124 min | — |
| CHI Health Missouri Valley | Missouri Valley, IA | $149 | $254 | ★ 4/5 | 105 min | — |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs, IA | $158 | $270 | ★ 3/5 | 150 min | — |
| Finley Hospital | Dubuque, IA | $183 | $192 | ★ 3/5 | 114 min | — |
| Ringgold County Hospital | Mount Ayr, IA | $199 | $144 | — | 128 min | — |
| Avera Holy Family Hospital | Estherville, IA | $221 | $192 | ★ 2/5 | 110 min | — |
| Montgomery County Memorial Hospital | Red Oak, IA | $224 | $262 | — | 113 min | — |
| Story County Hospital | Nevada, IA | $230 | $166 | — | 102 min | — |
| Spencer Municipal Hospital | Spencer, IA | $237 | $234 | ★ 4/5 | 128 min | — |
| Sartori Memorial Hospital, Inc | Cedar Falls, IA | $239 | $46 | — | 96 min | — |
| Mercy Medical Center-New Hampton | New Hampton, IA | $239 | $46 | — | 119 min | — |
| Mercyone Oelwein Medical Center | Oelwein, IA | $239 | $46 | — | 123 min | — |
| Cherokee Regional Medical Center | Cherokee, IA | $250 | $229 | ★ 2/5 | 134 min | — |
| Greene County Medical Center | Jefferson, IA | $256 | $353 | — | 104 min | — |
| Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center | Dubuque, IA | $267 | $205 | ★ 3/5 | 204 min | — |
| Mercyone Elkader Medical Center | Elkader, IA | $271 | $49 | — | 114 min | — |
| Regional Medical Center | Manchester, IA | $285 | $870 | ★ 4/5 | 147 min | — |
| Buena Vista Regional Medical Center | Storm Lake, IA | $287 | $240 | ★ 2/5 | 152 min | — |
| Palo Alto County Hospital | Emmetsburg, IA | $290 | $382 | — | 103 min | — |
| University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down | Iowa City, IA | $297 | $266 | ★ 4/5 | 149 min | — |
| University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics | Iowa City, IA | $297 | $266 | ★ 2/5 | 210 min | — |
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 October 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 $300 — about 2.3× the Medicare rate ($129). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($257).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $391 list price could save about $91 (23%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Abscess drainage (simple) cost in other states
All Abscess drainage (simple) prices (national) → · All hospitals in Iowa →