Prices at 46 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $440 — 22% below the US median ($566), roughly 3.4× 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 | $154 | $194 | ★ 4/5 | 149 min | — |
| University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics | Iowa City, IA | $154 | $194 | ★ 2/5 | 210 min | — |
| Greater Regional Medical Center | Creston, IA | $199 | $317 | ★ 3/5 | 101 min | — |
| Unitypoint Health-Marshalltown | Marshalltown, IA | $225 | $162 | ★ 3/5 | 162 min | — |
| Allen Hospital | Waterloo, IA | $225 | $147 | ★ 3/5 | 163 min | — |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs, IA | $244 | $317 | ★ 3/5 | 150 min | — |
| CHI Health-Mercy Corning | Corning, IA | $288 | $547 | ★ 3/5 | 124 min | — |
| CHI Health Missouri Valley | Missouri Valley, IA | $294 | $547 | ★ 4/5 | 105 min | — |
| Buena Vista Regional Medical Center | Storm Lake, IA | $307 | $372 | ★ 2/5 | 152 min | — |
| Humboldt County Memorial Hospital | Humboldt, IA | $351 | $303 | — | 100 min | — |
| Cherokee Regional Medical Center | Cherokee, IA | $351 | $379 | ★ 2/5 | 134 min | — |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs, IA | $353 | $301 | ★ 5/5 | 171 min | — |
| Montgomery County Memorial Hospital | Red Oak, IA | $362 | $329 | — | 113 min | — |
| Van Diest Medical Center | Webster City, IA | $363 | $318 | ★ 5/5 | 103 min | — |
| Jones Regional Medical Center | Anamosa, IA | $384 | $129 | ★ 4/5 | 116 min | — |
| Mercyone Newton Medical Center | Newton, IA | $395 | $179 | ★ 4/5 | 155 min | — |
| St Lukes Hospital | Cedar Rapids, IA | $403 | $142 | ★ 4/5 | 166 min | — |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center | Sioux City, IA | $403 | $142 | ★ 2/5 | 174 min | — |
| Clarke County Hospital | Osceola, IA | $410 | $141 | ★ 5/5 | 104 min | — |
| Regional Medical Center | Manchester, IA | $415 | $870 | ★ 4/5 | 147 min | — |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center | Grinnell, IA | $432 | $166 | ★ 2/5 | 112 min | — |
| Pocahontas Community Hospital | Pocahontas, IA | $438 | $399 | — | 120 min | — |
| Finley Hospital | Dubuque, IA | $440 | $164 | ★ 3/5 | 114 min | — |
| Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center | Dubuque, IA | $452 | $179 | ★ 3/5 | 204 min | — |
| Palo Alto County Hospital | Emmetsburg, IA | $459 | $600 | — | 103 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 $440 — about 3.4× the Medicare rate ($128). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($257).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $608 list price could save about $168 (28%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Upper GI series (barium) cost in other states
All Upper GI series (barium) prices (national) → · All hospitals in Iowa →