CMS Price Transparency Data

Inguinal hernia repair

Facility: University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down

Billing Code: 49505 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$2,396

about 0.7× the $3,658 Medicare rate · typically $1,420–$2,396

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

Medicare pays $3,658 Fair price $2,396 Cash price $939 Hospital's list price $1,342

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

What each insurance company pays

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

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

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Humana CignaKaiser 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	$464 - $10,240	13%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$456 - $3,614	12%
Aetnamajor	$451 - $4,359	12%
Humanamajor	$3,420	93%
HealthPartners	$460 - $3,511	13%
Molina	$451 - $464	12%
Oscar Health	$1,690	46%
Sanford Health Plan	$2,280	62%
+ 10 smaller / regional plans	$451 - $3,614

Excludes 5 rental-network / third-party entries (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 (about 939), 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 CPT code on your bill matches exactly: 49505.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 49505.
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 University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down

Compare: Inguinal hernia repair at other IA hospitals

Waverly Health Center · Waverly $451
Mahaska Health Partnership · Oskaloosa $451
Guthrie County Hospital · Guthrie Center $456
Virginia Gay Hospital · Vinton $456
Story County Hospital · Nevada $464
Cass County Memorial Hospital · Atlantic $497
Clarke County Hospital · Osceola $533
Winnmed · Decorah $560

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