Prices at 45 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,638 — 4% above the US median ($2,532), roughly 5.7× 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 | $400 | $485 | ★ 4/5 | 149 min | — |
| University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics | Iowa City, IA | $400 | $485 | ★ 2/5 | 210 min | — |
| Mercyone North Iowa Medical Center | Mason City, IA | $724 | $356 | ★ 2/5 | 193 min | — |
| Keokuk County Health Center | Sigourney, IA | $820 | $902 | — | 116 min | — |
| Greater Regional Medical Center | Creston, IA | $912 | $1,436 | ★ 3/5 | 101 min | — |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center | Grinnell, IA | $1,091 | $355 | ★ 2/5 | 112 min | — |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs, IA | $1,309 | $906 | ★ 3/5 | 150 min | — |
| Greene County Medical Center | Jefferson, IA | $1,472 | $2,498 | — | 104 min | — |
| St Lukes Hospital | Cedar Rapids, IA | $1,936 | $437 | ★ 4/5 | 166 min | — |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center | Sioux City, IA | $1,936 | $437 | ★ 2/5 | 174 min | — |
| CHI Health-Mercy Corning | Corning, IA | $2,052 | $4,105 | ★ 3/5 | 124 min | — |
| Buena Vista Regional Medical Center | Storm Lake, IA | $2,058 | $2,495 | ★ 2/5 | 152 min | — |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs, IA | $2,090 | $1,393 | ★ 5/5 | 171 min | — |
| CHI Health Missouri Valley | Missouri Valley, IA | $2,095 | $4,105 | ★ 4/5 | 105 min | — |
| Clarke County Hospital | Osceola, IA | $2,102 | $926 | ★ 5/5 | 104 min | — |
| Montgomery County Memorial Hospital | Red Oak, IA | $2,119 | $1,574 | — | 113 min | — |
| Unitypoint Health-Marshalltown | Marshalltown, IA | $2,346 | $487 | ★ 3/5 | 162 min | — |
| Allen Hospital | Waterloo, IA | $2,346 | $433 | ★ 3/5 | 163 min | — |
| Jackson County Regional Health Center | Maquoketa, IA | $2,372 | $1,669 | — | 77 min | — |
| Finley Hospital | Dubuque, IA | $2,517 | $467 | ★ 3/5 | 114 min | — |
| Mercyone Newton Medical Center | Newton, IA | $2,593 | $356 | ★ 4/5 | 155 min | — |
| Mercy Medical Center-New Hampton | New Hampton, IA | $2,593 | $3,770 | — | 119 min | — |
| Palo Alto County Hospital | Emmetsburg, IA | $2,684 | $3,430 | — | 103 min | — |
| Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center | Dubuque, IA | $2,691 | $356 | ★ 3/5 | 204 min | — |
| Stewart Memorial Community Hospital | Lake City, IA | $2,806 | — | — | 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 $2,638 — about 5.7× the Medicare rate ($466). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($932).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $3,989 list price could save about $1,351 (34%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
MRI of the chest without contrast cost in other states
All MRI of the chest without contrast prices (national) → · All hospitals in Iowa →