Prices at 50 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $396 — 10% below the US median ($441), roughly 3.7× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down | Iowa City, IA | $111 | $145 | ★ 4/5 | 149 min | — |
| University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics | Iowa City, IA | $111 | $145 | ★ 2/5 | 210 min | — |
| Greater Regional Medical Center | Creston, IA | $174 | $263 | ★ 3/5 | 101 min | — |
| Unitypoint Health-Marshalltown | Marshalltown, IA | $177 | $117 | ★ 3/5 | 162 min | — |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs, IA | $177 | $265 | ★ 3/5 | 150 min | — |
| Allen Hospital | Waterloo, IA | $192 | $119 | ★ 3/5 | 163 min | — |
| Buena Vista Regional Medical Center | Storm Lake, IA | $250 | $304 | ★ 2/5 | 152 min | — |
| Van Diest Medical Center | Webster City, IA | $267 | $240 | ★ 5/5 | 103 min | — |
| Cherokee Regional Medical Center | Cherokee, IA | $270 | $283 | ★ 2/5 | 134 min | — |
| CHI Health-Mercy Corning | Corning, IA | $275 | $433 | ★ 3/5 | 124 min | — |
| CHI Health Missouri Valley | Missouri Valley, IA | $281 | $433 | ★ 4/5 | 105 min | — |
| Montgomery County Memorial Hospital | Red Oak, IA | $299 | $222 | — | 113 min | — |
| Humboldt County Memorial Hospital | Humboldt, IA | $304 | $273 | — | 100 min | — |
| Guttenberg Municipal Hospital | Guttenberg, IA | $306 | $287 | — | 96 min | — |
| Jones Regional Medical Center | Anamosa, IA | $318 | $161 | ★ 4/5 | 116 min | — |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs, IA | $338 | $283 | ★ 5/5 | 171 min | — |
| Clarke County Hospital | Osceola, IA | $359 | $125 | ★ 5/5 | 104 min | — |
| Regional Medical Center | Manchester, IA | $371 | $870 | ★ 4/5 | 147 min | — |
| Mercyone Clinton Medical Center | Clinton, IA | $373 | $179 | ★ 4/5 | 123 min | — |
| Mercyone Siouxland Medical Center | Sioux City, IA | $373 | $179 | ★ 2/5 | 199 min | — |
| Palo Alto County Hospital | Emmetsburg, IA | $376 | $500 | — | 103 min | — |
| Community Memorial Hospital Medical Center | Sumner, IA | $379 | $299 | — | 132 min | — |
| Finley Hospital | Dubuque, IA | $381 | $157 | ★ 3/5 | 114 min | — |
| Mercyone North Iowa Medical Center | Mason City, IA | $396 | $179 | ★ 2/5 | 193 min | — |
| Mercyone Newton Medical Center | Newton, IA | $396 | $179 | ★ 4/5 | 155 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 $396 — about 3.7× the Medicare rate ($107). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($214).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $543 list price could save about $147 (27%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Barium swallow study cost in other states
All Barium swallow study prices (national) → · All hospitals in Iowa →