Prices at 35 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,033 — 6% above the US median ($1,922), roughly 9.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keokuk County Health Center | Sigourney, IA | $724 | $796 | — | 116 min | — |
| Finley Hospital | Dubuque, IA | $765 | $311 | ★ 3/5 | 114 min | — |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center | Grinnell, IA | $765 | $234 | ★ 2/5 | 112 min | — |
| Van Diest Medical Center | Webster City, IA | $918 | $803 | ★ 5/5 | 103 min | — |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs, IA | $1,115 | $739 | ★ 3/5 | 150 min | — |
| Greene County Medical Center | Jefferson, IA | $1,434 | $2,433 | — | 104 min | — |
| Mercyone North Iowa Medical Center | Mason City, IA | $1,453 | $356 | ★ 2/5 | 193 min | — |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs, IA | $1,496 | $997 | ★ 5/5 | 171 min | — |
| Unitypoint Health-Marshalltown | Marshalltown, IA | $1,505 | $341 | ★ 3/5 | 162 min | — |
| Allen Hospital | Waterloo, IA | $1,505 | $303 | ★ 3/5 | 163 min | — |
| St Lukes Hospital | Cedar Rapids, IA | $1,788 | $311 | ★ 4/5 | 166 min | — |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center | Sioux City, IA | $1,788 | $311 | ★ 2/5 | 174 min | — |
| Jackson County Regional Health Center | Maquoketa, IA | $1,888 | $1,232 | — | 77 min | — |
| Humboldt County Memorial Hospital | Humboldt, IA | $2,005 | $1,734 | — | 100 min | — |
| Cherokee Regional Medical Center | Cherokee, IA | $2,018 | $2,242 | ★ 2/5 | 134 min | — |
| Stewart Memorial Community Hospital | Lake City, IA | $2,048 | — | — | 127 min | — |
| Clarke County Hospital | Osceola, IA | $2,066 | $445 | ★ 5/5 | 104 min | — |
| Buena Vista Regional Medical Center | Storm Lake, IA | $2,126 | $2,577 | ★ 2/5 | 152 min | — |
| CHI Health-Mercy Corning | Corning, IA | $2,264 | $4,528 | ★ 3/5 | 124 min | — |
| CHI Health Missouri Valley | Missouri Valley, IA | $2,311 | $4,528 | ★ 4/5 | 105 min | — |
| Story County Hospital | Nevada, IA | $2,590 | $2,461 | — | 102 min | — |
| Buchanan County Health Center | Independence, IA | $3,072 | $2,999 | — | 90 min | — |
| Palo Alto County Hospital | Emmetsburg, IA | $3,075 | $3,460 | — | 103 min | — |
| Sanford Sheldon Medical Center | Sheldon, IA | $3,096 | $2,497 | — | 123 min | — |
| Unitypoint Health-Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi | Des Moines, IA | $3,275 | $311 | ★ 3/5 | 182 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 September 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 $2,033 — about 9.0× the Medicare rate ($226). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($453).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $2,706 list price could save about $673 (25%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
MRA of the brain with contrast cost in other states
All MRA of the brain with contrast prices (national) → · All hospitals in Iowa →