Prices at 47 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,193 — 7% below the US median ($1,278), roughly 4.2× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Medical Center-New Hampton | New Hampton, IA | $225 | $50 | — | 119 min | — |
| Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center | Des Moines, IA | $391 | $50 | ★ 1/5 | 244 min | — |
| CHI Health-Mercy Corning | Corning, IA | $518 | $817 | ★ 3/5 | 124 min | — |
| Humboldt County Memorial Hospital | Humboldt, IA | $527 | $455 | — | 100 min | — |
| CHI Health Missouri Valley | Missouri Valley, IA | $529 | $817 | ★ 4/5 | 105 min | — |
| Greene County Medical Center | Jefferson, IA | $536 | $878 | — | 104 min | — |
| Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinics | West Union, IA | $593 | $961 | ★ 5/5 | 85 min | — |
| Ringgold County Hospital | Mount Ayr, IA | $595 | — | — | 128 min | — |
| Lakes Regional Healthcare | Spirit Lake, IA | $601 | $424 | ★ 2/5 | 125 min | — |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs, IA | $671 | $1,054 | ★ 3/5 | 150 min | — |
| Guttenberg Municipal Hospital | Guttenberg, IA | $712 | $712 | — | 96 min | — |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs, IA | $730 | $959 | ★ 5/5 | 171 min | — |
| Jones Regional Medical Center | Anamosa, IA | $739 | $202 | ★ 4/5 | 116 min | — |
| Finley Hospital | Dubuque, IA | $778 | $514 | ★ 3/5 | 114 min | — |
| Van Diest Medical Center | Webster City, IA | $780 | $707 | ★ 5/5 | 103 min | — |
| Clarke County Hospital | Osceola, IA | $817 | $252 | ★ 5/5 | 104 min | — |
| Spencer Municipal Hospital | Spencer, IA | $891 | $765 | ★ 4/5 | 128 min | — |
| Montgomery County Memorial Hospital | Red Oak, IA | $911 | $1,130 | — | 113 min | — |
| Greater Regional Medical Center | Creston, IA | $979 | $895 | ★ 3/5 | 101 min | — |
| Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center | Dubuque, IA | $1,043 | $1,339 | ★ 3/5 | 204 min | — |
| University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down | Iowa City, IA | $1,112 | $258 | ★ 4/5 | 149 min | — |
| University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics | Iowa City, IA | $1,112 | $258 | ★ 2/5 | 210 min | — |
| Regional Medical Center | Manchester, IA | $1,151 | $870 | ★ 4/5 | 147 min | — |
| Stewart Memorial Community Hospital | Lake City, IA | $1,193 | — | — | 127 min | — |
| Mercyone Elkader Medical Center | Elkader, IA | $1,334 | $1,510 | — | 114 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 $1,193 — about 4.2× the Medicare rate ($284). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($568).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,739 list price could save about $546 (31%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Abdominal fluid drain (paracentesis) cost in other states
All Abdominal fluid drain (paracentesis) prices (national) → · All hospitals in Iowa →