Prices at 51 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,799 — 10% above the US median ($1,631), roughly 10.4× 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 | $276 | $335 | ★ 4/5 | 149 min | — |
| University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics | Iowa City, IA | $276 | $335 | ★ 2/5 | 210 min | — |
| Spencer Municipal Hospital | Spencer, IA | $704 | $798 | ★ 4/5 | 128 min | — |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs, IA | $806 | $444 | ★ 3/5 | 150 min | — |
| Greater Regional Medical Center | Creston, IA | $810 | $1,350 | ★ 3/5 | 101 min | — |
| St Lukes Hospital | Cedar Rapids, IA | $843 | $166 | ★ 4/5 | 166 min | — |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center | Sioux City, IA | $843 | $166 | ★ 2/5 | 174 min | — |
| Lakes Regional Healthcare | Spirit Lake, IA | $1,058 | $835 | ★ 2/5 | 125 min | — |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs, IA | $1,105 | $419 | ★ 5/5 | 171 min | — |
| Humboldt County Memorial Hospital | Humboldt, IA | $1,117 | $966 | — | 100 min | — |
| Clarke County Hospital | Osceola, IA | $1,255 | $301 | ★ 5/5 | 104 min | — |
| Cherokee Regional Medical Center | Cherokee, IA | $1,260 | $1,400 | ★ 2/5 | 134 min | — |
| Greene County Medical Center | Jefferson, IA | $1,280 | $2,172 | — | 104 min | — |
| Van Diest Medical Center | Webster City, IA | $1,303 | $1,140 | ★ 5/5 | 103 min | — |
| Buena Vista Regional Medical Center | Storm Lake, IA | $1,370 | $1,662 | ★ 2/5 | 152 min | — |
| Community Memorial Hospital Medical Center | Sumner, IA | $1,412 | $1,112 | — | 132 min | — |
| Ringgold County Hospital | Mount Ayr, IA | $1,525 | $1,618 | — | 128 min | — |
| Finley Hospital | Dubuque, IA | $1,624 | $179 | ★ 3/5 | 114 min | — |
| Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center | Des Moines, IA | $1,675 | $179 | ★ 1/5 | 244 min | — |
| Regional Medical Center | Manchester, IA | $1,743 | $870 | ★ 4/5 | 147 min | — |
| Mercyone Newton Medical Center | Newton, IA | $1,747 | $179 | ★ 4/5 | 155 min | — |
| Mercy Medical Center-New Hampton | New Hampton, IA | $1,747 | $2,540 | — | 119 min | — |
| Mercyone Oelwein Medical Center | Oelwein, IA | $1,747 | $2,470 | — | 123 min | — |
| Unitypoint Health-Marshalltown | Marshalltown, IA | $1,799 | $173 | ★ 3/5 | 162 min | — |
| Allen Hospital | Waterloo, IA | $1,799 | $167 | ★ 3/5 | 163 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 $1,799 — about 10.4× the Medicare rate ($173). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($346).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $2,604 list price could save about $805 (31%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
CT scan of the head with and without contrast cost in other states
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