US Health Care Costs

Irregular heartbeat, with complications in Iowa

MS-DRG 309: Cardiac arrhythmia and conduction disorders with cc

$18,839typical hospital bill
$5,706typical amount paid
$4,999–$8,464range paid across 19 hospitals

Iowa hospitals billed Medicare a typical $18,839 for this stay in 2024, about 3.3 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 CenterAmes32$14,465$4,999
Trinity - BettendorfBettendorf11$14,614$5,238
Methodist Jennie EdmundsonCouncil Bluffs18$18,839$5,319
St Lukes HospitalCedar Rapids31$15,801$5,397
Mercyone Dubuque Medical CenterDubuque38$22,073$5,412
Finley HospitalDubuque19$13,883$5,438
Trinity Regional Medical CenterFort Dodge13$22,980$5,456
Genesis Medical Center-DavenportDavenport20$14,011$5,529
Mercy Medical Center - Cedar RapidsCedar Rapids44$18,376$5,556
Allen HospitalWaterloo29$15,859$5,706
St Lukes Regional Medical CenterSioux City18$13,249$5,796
Mercyone Des Moines Medical CenterDes Moines52$29,194$5,865
Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist MediDes Moines36$28,144$6,138
Mercyone North Iowa Medical CenterMason City49$29,222$6,142
Ottumwa Regional Health CenterOttumwa13$28,002$6,257
Southeast Iowa Regional Medical CenterWest Burlington26$25,247$6,292
Mercyone Clinton Medical CenterClinton11$29,746$6,314
Mercyone Waterloo Medical CenterWaterloo21$17,179$6,337
University of Iowa Hospital & ClinicsIowa City49$34,165$8,464

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.