Prices at 39 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $16,082 — 14% above the US median ($14,099), roughly 2.1× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County Memorial Hospital | Red Oak, IA | $4,799 | $4,388 | — | 113 min | — |
| Boone County Hospital | Boone, IA | $7,244 | $8,149 | — | 122 min | — |
| Myrtue Medical Center 🍼 | Harlan, IA | $8,597 | $10,881 | ★ 3/5 | 61 min | — |
| Mercyone Clinton Medical Center 🍼 | Clinton, IA | $13,441 | $11,804 | ★ 4/5 | 123 min | — |
| Mercyone Siouxland Medical Center | Sioux City, IA | $13,441 | $11,804 | ★ 2/5 | 199 min | — |
| St Anthony Regional Hospital & Nursing Home | Carroll, IA | $13,566 | $12,209 | ★ 2/5 | 133 min | — |
| Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center 🍼 | Dubuque, IA | $13,729 | $10,548 | ★ 3/5 | 204 min | — |
| Veterans Memorial Hospital | Waukon, IA | $15,760 | $8,400 | — | 97 min | — |
| Wayne County Hospital | Corydon, IA | $16,034 | $6,816 | — | 149 min | — |
| Winnmed 🍼 | Decorah, IA | $16,129 | $20,760 | ★ 4/5 | 114 min | — |
| Orange City Area Health System | Orange City, IA | $16,229 | $16,261 | ★ 3/5 | 117 min | — |
| Mahaska Health Partnership 🍼 | Oskaloosa, IA | $17,859 | $10,453 | ★ 4/5 | 141 min | — |
| Mercyone Waterloo Medical Center 🍼 | Waterloo, IA | $18,469 | $10,624 | ★ 4/5 | 223 min | — |
| Floyd County Medical Center 🍼 | Charles City, IA | $21,879 | $13,446 | ★ 3/5 | 168 min | — |
| Cass County Memorial Hospital 🍼 | Atlantic, IA | $22,967 | $14,718 | ★ 5/5 | 86 min | — |
| Mercyone North Iowa Medical Center 🍼 | Mason City, IA | $23,324 | $9,153 | ★ 2/5 | 193 min | — |
| Iowa Specialty Hospital-Clarion 🍼 | Clarion, IA | $30,763 | $33,748 | — | 108 min | — |
| Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center 🍼 | Des Moines, IA | $39,305 | $11,202 | ★ 1/5 | 244 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. 🍼 = CMS Birthing-Friendly hospital. 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 $16,082 — about 2.1× the Medicare rate ($7,552). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($15,104).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $20,649 list price could save about $4,567 (22%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Cesarean section (C-section) cost in other states
All Cesarean section (C-section) prices (national) → · All hospitals in Iowa →