Prices at 44 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $276 — 28% below the US median ($383), roughly 4.9× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ringgold County Hospital | Mount Ayr, IA | $78 | $48 | — | 128 min | — |
| Community Memorial Hospital Medical Center | Sumner, IA | $84 | $101 | — | 132 min | — |
| Lakes Regional Healthcare | Spirit Lake, IA | $86 | $69 | ★ 2/5 | 125 min | — |
| Mercyone Centerville Medical Center | Centerville, IA | $116 | $29 | — | 130 min | — |
| CHI Health-Mercy Corning | Corning, IA | $117 | $146 | ★ 3/5 | 124 min | — |
| CHI Health Missouri Valley | Missouri Valley, IA | $120 | $142 | ★ 4/5 | 105 min | — |
| Mercyone North Iowa Medical Center | Mason City, IA | $124 | $29 | ★ 2/5 | 193 min | — |
| Story County Hospital | Nevada, IA | $141 | $32 | — | 102 min | — |
| Montgomery County Memorial Hospital | Red Oak, IA | $142 | $130 | — | 113 min | — |
| Pocahontas Community Hospital | Pocahontas, IA | $150 | $146 | — | 120 min | — |
| Cherokee Regional Medical Center | Cherokee, IA | $154 | $212 | ★ 2/5 | 134 min | — |
| University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down | Iowa City, IA | $205 | $205 | ★ 4/5 | 149 min | — |
| University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics | Iowa City, IA | $205 | $205 | ★ 2/5 | 210 min | — |
| Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinics | West Union, IA | $206 | $325 | ★ 5/5 | 85 min | — |
| Buena Vista Regional Medical Center | Storm Lake, IA | $214 | $409 | ★ 2/5 | 152 min | — |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs, IA | $214 | $428 | ★ 3/5 | 150 min | — |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs, IA | $217 | $302 | ★ 5/5 | 171 min | — |
| Greater Regional Medical Center | Creston, IA | $223 | $296 | ★ 3/5 | 101 min | — |
| Stewart Memorial Community Hospital | Lake City, IA | $271 | — | — | 127 min | — |
| Greene County Medical Center | Jefferson, IA | $271 | $441 | — | 104 min | — |
| Mercyone Waterloo Medical Center | Waterloo, IA | $272 | $34 | ★ 4/5 | 223 min | — |
| Van Diest Medical Center | Webster City, IA | $280 | $202 | ★ 5/5 | 103 min | — |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center | Grinnell, IA | $322 | $97 | ★ 2/5 | 112 min | — |
| Humboldt County Memorial Hospital | Humboldt, IA | $338 | $360 | — | 100 min | — |
| Regional Medical Center | Manchester, IA | $379 | $870 | ★ 4/5 | 147 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 $276 — about 4.9× the Medicare rate ($56). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($112).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $479 list price could save about $203 (42%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Joint aspiration or injection (small joint) cost in other states
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