US Health Care Costs

Lung infection, with major complications in Iowa

MS-DRG 177: Respiratory infections and inflammations with mcc

$38,648typical hospital bill
$12,324typical amount paid
$10,862–$17,887range paid across 25 hospitals

Iowa hospitals billed Medicare a typical $38,648 for this stay in 2024, about 3.1 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 CenterAmes69$38,757$10,862
Genesis Medical Center-DavenportDavenport132$32,015$11,193
St Lukes HospitalCedar Rapids71$34,465$11,204
Trinity - BettendorfBettendorf19$31,232$11,227
University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center DownIowa City52$63,703$11,264
Mercyone Dubuque Medical CenterDubuque111$34,495$11,329
Methodist Jennie EdmundsonCouncil Bluffs47$41,785$11,403
Mercy Medical Center - Cedar RapidsCedar Rapids93$42,648$11,460
Finley HospitalDubuque27$30,409$11,614
Allen HospitalWaterloo35$25,407$11,857
Chi Health Mercy Council BluffsCouncil Bluffs25$42,727$11,924
Mercyone Siouxland Medical CenterSioux City24$48,451$12,136
Mercyone Des Moines Medical CenterDes Moines79$71,686$12,324
Trinity Regional Medical CenterFort Dodge18$34,667$12,340
St Lukes Regional Medical CenterSioux City59$38,648$12,526
Mercyone Waterloo Medical CenterWaterloo14$37,797$12,864
Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist MediDes Moines91$46,449$12,955
Mercyone North Iowa Medical CenterMason City70$54,772$13,561
Ottumwa Regional Health CenterOttumwa16$43,746$13,854
Spencer Municipal HospitalSpencer23$23,457$14,001
Southeast Iowa Regional Medical CenterWest Burlington58$34,505$14,207
Mercyone Clinton Medical CenterClinton70$46,520$14,275
Unitypoint Health - MarshalltownMarshalltown17$22,390$14,845
Trinity MuscatineMuscatine25$21,873$17,002
University of Iowa Hospital & ClinicsIowa City55$68,240$17,887

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.