CMS Price Transparency Data

Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay)

Facility: CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs

Billing Code: 451 (MS-DRG)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$32,717

about 1.4× the $23,504 Medicare rate · typically $32,717–$46,275

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$50,881

Above the fair price

about $18,164 over the fair price · 2.2× Medicare

Medicare pays $23,504 Fair price $32,717 This hospital $50,881

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other IA hospitals

Highest price of the 9 IA hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.

Cheapest $21,458 Priciest $50,881

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 IA hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.

A fair price for a Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay) is about $32,717 (about 1.4× the $23,504 Medicare rate). CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs charges insurers about $50,881 — above the fair price. Located in Council Bluffs, IA.

This price is above the fair BaseRate — you may be able to pay less

Ask the hospital for the cash / self-pay price, check whether you qualify for financial assistance, or negotiate the bill down toward the fair price of about $32,717. Many patients pay well below the first number they’re quoted — the checklists below walk you through it.

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

3 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Humana AetnaCignaKaiser Permanente

Crossed out = this hospital hasn’t published a negotiated price for that insurer for this procedure. It doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t accepted — ask your insurer.

Insurance company	Price range	vs. Medicare
UnitedHealthcaremajor	$23,128 - $126,666	98%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$23,128	98%
Humanamajor	$23,128	98%
Ambetter (Centene)	$23,821	101%
Amerigroup	$24,284	103%
Medica	$23,128 - $72,959	98%
+ 9 smaller / regional plans	$23,128 - $182,956

Excludes 1 rental-network / third-party entry (e.g. Multiplan, PHCS) — these are pricing networks, not insurers.

Self-Pay How to get the cash price

Tell the billing desk you want to be billed as self-pay — not through insurance — before your visit.
Ask for the cash / prompt-pay discount in writing, with the exact price, before you agree to anything.
Get it in writing that they won’t also bill your insurance, so the cash price is what you owe.
Check the MS-DRG code on your bill matches exactly: 451.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for MS-DRG code 451.
Confirm the doctor or provider is in-network too — not just the hospital building.
Check your Explanation of Benefits against the hospital’s final itemized bill.

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost

A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.

How you’d pay

Deductible left to meet ($)

Your coinsurance (%)

Enter your details and press estimate to compare.

Other Procedures at CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs

Compare: Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay) at other IA hospitals

Grinnell Regional Medical Center · Grinnell $21,458
Mary Greeley Medical Center · Ames $21,582
Allen Hospital · Waterloo $22,716
St Lukes Hospital · Cedar Rapids $22,775
University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down · Iowa City $23,452
Finley Hospital · Dubuque $24,116
St Lukes Regional Medical Center · Sioux City $24,341
Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi · Des Moines $24,386

Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.