Prices at 19 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,464 — 22% below the US median ($3,169), roughly 2.4× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercyone North Iowa Medical Center | Mason City, IA | $2,305 | $369 | ★ 2/5 | 193 min | — |
| Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center | Des Moines, IA | $2,305 | $369 | ★ 1/5 | 244 min | — |
| Unitypoint Health-Marshalltown | Marshalltown, IA | $2,464 | $2,027 | ★ 3/5 | 162 min | — |
| Trinity Muscatine | Muscatine, IA | $2,464 | $2,027 | ★ 4/5 | 136 min | — |
| Trinity Regional Medical Center | Fort Dodge, IA | $2,464 | $2,002 | ★ 2/5 | 167 min | — |
| St Lukes Hospital | Cedar Rapids, IA | $2,464 | $1,977 | ★ 4/5 | 166 min | — |
| Unitypoint Health-Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi | Des Moines, IA | $2,464 | $2,027 | ★ 3/5 | 182 min | — |
| Trinity-Bettendorf | Bettendorf, IA | $2,464 | $2,002 | ★ 3/5 | 205 min | — |
| Allen Hospital | Waterloo, IA | $2,464 | $2,027 | ★ 3/5 | 163 min | — |
| Finley Hospital | Dubuque, IA | $2,464 | $2,027 | ★ 3/5 | 114 min | — |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center | Sioux City, IA | $2,464 | $1,977 | ★ 2/5 | 174 min | — |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center | Grinnell, IA | $2,464 | $2,027 | ★ 2/5 | 112 min | — |
| Jones Regional Medical Center | Anamosa, IA | $2,464 | $2,027 | ★ 4/5 | 116 min | — |
| Jackson County Regional Health Center | Maquoketa, IA | $3,544 | $2,658 | — | 77 min | — |
| University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down | Iowa City, IA | $5,503 | $2,750 | ★ 4/5 | 149 min | — |
| University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics | Iowa City, IA | $5,503 | $2,750 | ★ 2/5 | 210 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 $2,464 — about 2.4× the Medicare rate ($1,023). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($2,047).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $3,080 list price could save about $616 (20%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Brain shunt (VP shunt) cost in other states
All Brain shunt (VP shunt) prices (national) → · All hospitals in Iowa →