Prices at 9 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $243,156 — 225% above the US median ($74,742), roughly 161.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Specialty Hospital-Clarion | Clarion, IA | $233,775 | $272,737 | — | 108 min | — |
| Iowa Specialty Hospital-Belmond | Belmond, IA | $252,537 | $273,582 | — | 88 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 $243,156 — about 161.0× the Medicare rate ($1,511). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($3,021).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $405,260 list price could save about $162,104 (40%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
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