Prices at 52 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $234 — 20% below the US median ($293), roughly 5.9× 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 | $63 | $78 | ★ 4/5 | 149 min | — |
| University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics | Iowa City, IA | $63 | $78 | ★ 2/5 | 210 min | — |
| Clarke County Hospital | Osceola, IA | $79 | $46 | ★ 5/5 | 104 min | — |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs, IA | $81 | $117 | ★ 3/5 | 150 min | — |
| Greater Regional Medical Center | Creston, IA | $103 | $177 | ★ 3/5 | 101 min | — |
| Unitypoint Health-Marshalltown | Marshalltown, IA | $123 | $55 | ★ 3/5 | 162 min | — |
| Allen Hospital | Waterloo, IA | $123 | $48 | ★ 3/5 | 163 min | — |
| Buena Vista Regional Medical Center | Storm Lake, IA | $144 | $152 | ★ 2/5 | 152 min | — |
| Mercyone Waterloo Medical Center | Waterloo, IA | $178 | $26 | ★ 4/5 | 223 min | — |
| Van Diest Medical Center | Webster City, IA | $179 | $154 | ★ 5/5 | 103 min | — |
| CHI Health-Mercy Corning | Corning, IA | $191 | $238 | ★ 3/5 | 124 min | — |
| Mercy Medical Center-New Hampton | New Hampton, IA | $193 | $281 | — | 119 min | — |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs, IA | $193 | $109 | ★ 5/5 | 171 min | — |
| CHI Health Missouri Valley | Missouri Valley, IA | $195 | $294 | ★ 4/5 | 105 min | — |
| Humboldt County Memorial Hospital | Humboldt, IA | $195 | $171 | — | 100 min | — |
| Keokuk County Health Center | Sigourney, IA | $203 | $134 | — | 116 min | — |
| Cherokee Regional Medical Center | Cherokee, IA | $209 | $228 | ★ 2/5 | 134 min | — |
| Mercyone Centerville Medical Center | Centerville, IA | $210 | $34 | — | 130 min | — |
| Story County Hospital | Nevada, IA | $218 | $217 | — | 102 min | — |
| Trinity Muscatine | Muscatine, IA | $221 | $54 | ★ 4/5 | 136 min | — |
| Trinity Regional Medical Center | Fort Dodge, IA | $221 | $46 | ★ 2/5 | 167 min | — |
| Trinity-Bettendorf | Bettendorf, IA | $221 | $46 | ★ 3/5 | 205 min | — |
| Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center | Dubuque, IA | $229 | $107 | ★ 3/5 | 204 min | — |
| Finley Hospital | Dubuque, IA | $233 | $57 | ★ 3/5 | 114 min | — |
| Ringgold County Hospital | Mount Ayr, IA | $234 | $257 | — | 128 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 $234 — about 5.9× the Medicare rate ($40). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($80).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $316 list price could save about $82 (26%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
X-ray of the skull cost in other states
All X-ray of the skull prices (national) → · All hospitals in Iowa →