Prices at 48 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $710 — 48% below the US median ($1,362), roughly 5.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County Regional Health Center | Maquoketa, IA | $208 | $395 | — | 77 min | — |
| Greene County Medical Center | Jefferson, IA | $290 | $491 | — | 104 min | — |
| Ringgold County Hospital | Mount Ayr, IA | $293 | $207 | — | 128 min | — |
| Mercyone Elkader Medical Center | Elkader, IA | $328 | $68 | — | 114 min | — |
| Mercy Medical Center-New Hampton | New Hampton, IA | $328 | $68 | — | 119 min | — |
| Mercyone Centerville Medical Center | Centerville, IA | $328 | $68 | — | 130 min | — |
| Montgomery County Memorial Hospital | Red Oak, IA | $398 | $282 | — | 113 min | — |
| Mercyone Waterloo Medical Center | Waterloo, IA | $408 | $68 | ★ 4/5 | 223 min | — |
| Palo Alto County Hospital | Emmetsburg, IA | $457 | $455 | — | 103 min | — |
| CHI Health-Mercy Corning | Corning, IA | $488 | $928 | ★ 3/5 | 124 min | — |
| Mercyone North Iowa Medical Center | Mason City, IA | $488 | $68 | ★ 2/5 | 193 min | — |
| Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center | Des Moines, IA | $488 | $68 | ★ 1/5 | 244 min | — |
| Story County Hospital | Nevada, IA | $490 | $230 | — | 102 min | — |
| CHI Health Missouri Valley | Missouri Valley, IA | $498 | $928 | ★ 4/5 | 105 min | — |
| Community Memorial Hospital Medical Center | Sumner, IA | $516 | $455 | — | 132 min | — |
| Regional Medical Center | Manchester, IA | $523 | $870 | ★ 4/5 | 147 min | — |
| Jones Regional Medical Center | Anamosa, IA | $525 | $327 | ★ 4/5 | 116 min | — |
| Pocahontas Community Hospital | Pocahontas, IA | $551 | $534 | — | 120 min | — |
| Buena Vista Regional Medical Center | Storm Lake, IA | $576 | $568 | ★ 2/5 | 152 min | — |
| Van Diest Medical Center | Webster City, IA | $626 | $688 | ★ 5/5 | 103 min | — |
| Clarke County Hospital | Osceola, IA | $641 | $157 | ★ 5/5 | 104 min | — |
| Cherokee Regional Medical Center | Cherokee, IA | $682 | $758 | ★ 2/5 | 134 min | — |
| Buchanan County Health Center | Independence, IA | $691 | $454 | — | 90 min | — |
| Finley Hospital | Dubuque, IA | $728 | $378 | ★ 3/5 | 114 min | — |
| Stewart Memorial Community Hospital | Lake City, IA | $764 | — | — | 127 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 September 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 $710 — about 5.0× the Medicare rate ($143). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($286).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $955 list price could save about $245 (26%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Chest tube insertion cost in other states
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