Prices at 57 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,517 — 14% above the US median ($1,329), roughly 11.7× 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 | $250 | $292 | ★ 4/5 | 149 min | — |
| University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics | Iowa City, IA | $250 | $292 | ★ 2/5 | 210 min | — |
| Greater Regional Medical Center | Creston, IA | $544 | $891 | ★ 3/5 | 101 min | — |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs, IA | $640 | $309 | ★ 3/5 | 150 min | — |
| St Lukes Hospital | Cedar Rapids, IA | $686 | $121 | ★ 4/5 | 166 min | — |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center | Sioux City, IA | $686 | $121 | ★ 2/5 | 174 min | — |
| Unitypoint Health-Marshalltown | Marshalltown, IA | $842 | $125 | ★ 3/5 | 162 min | — |
| Allen Hospital | Waterloo, IA | $842 | $123 | ★ 3/5 | 163 min | — |
| Spencer Municipal Hospital | Spencer, IA | $844 | $421 | ★ 4/5 | 128 min | — |
| Greene County Medical Center | Jefferson, IA | $897 | $1,522 | — | 104 min | — |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs, IA | $935 | $424 | ★ 5/5 | 171 min | — |
| Humboldt County Memorial Hospital | Humboldt, IA | $1,002 | $867 | — | 100 min | — |
| Buena Vista Regional Medical Center | Storm Lake, IA | $1,084 | $1,314 | ★ 2/5 | 152 min | — |
| Cherokee Regional Medical Center | Cherokee, IA | $1,107 | $1,230 | ★ 2/5 | 134 min | — |
| Van Diest Medical Center | Webster City, IA | $1,152 | $1,008 | ★ 5/5 | 103 min | — |
| Finley Hospital | Dubuque, IA | $1,225 | $125 | ★ 3/5 | 114 min | — |
| Lakes Regional Healthcare | Spirit Lake, IA | $1,259 | $993 | ★ 2/5 | 125 min | — |
| Community Memorial Hospital Medical Center | Sumner, IA | $1,292 | $1,292 | — | 132 min | — |
| Keokuk County Health Center | Sigourney, IA | $1,308 | $1,438 | — | 116 min | — |
| Regional Medical Center | Manchester, IA | $1,441 | $870 | ★ 4/5 | 147 min | — |
| Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center | Des Moines, IA | $1,498 | $107 | ★ 1/5 | 244 min | — |
| Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center | Dubuque, IA | $1,507 | $240 | ★ 3/5 | 204 min | — |
| CHI Health-Mercy Corning | Corning, IA | $1,508 | $3,016 | ★ 3/5 | 124 min | — |
| Mercyone Newton Medical Center | Newton, IA | $1,517 | $107 | ★ 4/5 | 155 min | — |
| Mercyone Elkader Medical Center | Elkader, IA | $1,517 | $1,718 | — | 114 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 $1,517 — about 11.7× the Medicare rate ($130). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($260).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $2,305 list price could save about $788 (34%).
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 lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast cost in other states
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