US Health Care Costs

Infection needing surgery, with major complications in Iowa

MS-DRG 853: Infectious and parasitic diseases with o.r. procedures with mcc

$101,873typical hospital bill
$33,662typical amount paid
$30,240–$52,818range paid across 19 hospitals

Iowa hospitals billed Medicare a typical $101,873 for this stay in 2024, about 3.0 times what was actually paid. Medicare's payment depends mostly on the hospital's location and teaching role; the bill depends on the hospital's own price list, so bills vary far more than payments.

Billed (list price)Actually paid (Medicare + patient)

HospitalCityMedicare staysBilledPaid
Mary Greeley Medical CenterAmes28$101,873$30,240
Finley HospitalDubuque22$75,131$30,266
Genesis Medical Center-DavenportDavenport48$93,574$31,036
Methodist Jennie EdmundsonCouncil Bluffs18$114,507$31,530
Allen HospitalWaterloo37$82,628$31,678
Mercyone Waterloo Medical CenterWaterloo17$134,472$32,161
University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center DownIowa City18$134,343$32,675
St Lukes HospitalCedar Rapids53$75,308$32,748
Mercyone Dubuque Medical CenterDubuque38$113,842$32,809
St Lukes Regional Medical CenterSioux City46$87,351$33,662
Chi Health Mercy Council BluffsCouncil Bluffs12$132,842$33,967
Mercyone Siouxland Medical CenterSioux City35$97,543$34,117
Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist MediDes Moines140$132,263$34,318
Trinity Regional Medical CenterFort Dodge14$75,839$35,918
Mercyone Des Moines Medical CenterDes Moines88$194,653$37,012
Spencer Municipal HospitalSpencer11$39,471$39,808
Mercyone North Iowa Medical CenterMason City25$157,378$40,844
Southeast Iowa Regional Medical CenterWest Burlington39$93,657$42,990
University of Iowa Hospital & ClinicsIowa City84$215,545$52,818

Medicare: CMS, 2024 (hospitals with 11 or more Medicare stays). Cash and insurer prices: hospitals' own price files, where read; insurer figures are commercial plans only, median and 10th–90th percentile across plans.