Prices at 48 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $277 — 29% below the US median ($392), roughly 4.9× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercyone Dyersville Medical Center | Dyersville, IA | $69 | $88 | — | 105 min | — |
| Ringgold County Hospital | Mount Ayr, IA | $85 | $55 | — | 128 min | — |
| Community Memorial Hospital Medical Center | Sumner, IA | $86 | $104 | — | 132 min | — |
| Buena Vista Regional Medical Center | Storm Lake, IA | $94 | $389 | ★ 2/5 | 152 min | — |
| Lakes Regional Healthcare | Spirit Lake, IA | $121 | $97 | ★ 2/5 | 125 min | — |
| Osceola Community Hospital | Sibley, IA | $130 | $78 | — | 115 min | — |
| Story County Hospital | Nevada, IA | $141 | $33 | — | 102 min | — |
| Montgomery County Memorial Hospital | Red Oak, IA | $142 | $130 | — | 113 min | — |
| Pocahontas Community Hospital | Pocahontas, IA | $154 | $150 | — | 120 min | — |
| CHI Health-Mercy Corning | Corning, IA | $164 | $219 | ★ 3/5 | 124 min | — |
| CHI Health Missouri Valley | Missouri Valley, IA | $167 | $270 | ★ 4/5 | 105 min | — |
| Greene County Medical Center | Jefferson, IA | $171 | $458 | — | 104 min | — |
| Cherokee Regional Medical Center | Cherokee, IA | $188 | $212 | ★ 2/5 | 134 min | — |
| Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinics | West Union, IA | $206 | $325 | ★ 5/5 | 85 min | — |
| Greater Regional Medical Center | Creston, IA | $206 | $273 | ★ 3/5 | 101 min | — |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs, IA | $214 | $357 | ★ 3/5 | 150 min | — |
| University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down | Iowa City, IA | $238 | $213 | ★ 4/5 | 149 min | — |
| University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics | Iowa City, IA | $238 | $213 | ★ 2/5 | 210 min | — |
| Mercyone Centerville Medical Center | Centerville, IA | $249 | $33 | — | 130 min | — |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs, IA | $258 | $320 | ★ 5/5 | 171 min | — |
| Mercyone North Iowa Medical Center | Mason City, IA | $272 | $35 | ★ 2/5 | 193 min | — |
| Mercyone Clinton Medical Center | Clinton, IA | $274 | $40 | ★ 4/5 | 123 min | — |
| Mercyone Siouxland Medical Center | Sioux City, IA | $274 | $40 | ★ 2/5 | 199 min | — |
| Van Diest Medical Center | Webster City, IA | $280 | $216 | ★ 5/5 | 103 min | — |
| Stewart Memorial Community Hospital | Lake City, IA | $292 | — | — | 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 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 $277 — about 4.9× the Medicare rate ($57). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($113).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $410 list price could save about $133 (32%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Joint aspiration (small/intermediate) cost in other states
All Joint aspiration (small/intermediate) prices (national) → · All hospitals in Iowa →