CMS Price Transparency Data

Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair

Facility: University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics

Billing Code: 29881 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$2,094

about 0.6× the $3,343 Medicare rate · typically $1,415–$2,157

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

Medicare pays $3,343 Fair price $2,094 Cash price $1,396 Hospital's list price $1,994

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	$491 - $10,240	15%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$476 - $3,303	14%
Aetnamajor	$467 - $21,467	14%
Humanamajor	$3,145	94%
HealthPartners	$476 - $3,389	14%
Molina	$467 - $491	14%
Oscar Health	$2,512	75%
Sanford Health Plan	$3,389	101%
+ 10 smaller / regional plans	$467 - $3,509

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 1,396), 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: 29881.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 29881.
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 Hospital & Clinics

Compare: Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair at other IA hospitals

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