CMS Price Transparency Data

Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound)

Facility: Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center

Billing Code: 93306 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$89

about 0.2× the $558 Medicare rate · typically $58–$297

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$179

Well above the fair price

about $90 over the fair price · 0.3× Medicare

Medicare pays $558 Fair price $89 This hospital $179 Hospital's list price $621

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 $95 Priciest $179

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

A fair price for a Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) is about $89 (about 0.2× the $558 Medicare rate). Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center charges insurers about $179 — well above the fair price. Located in Des Moines, 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 $89. 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.

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

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Cigna✓ Humana✓ Kaiser 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	$64 - $2,697	11%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$64 - $801	11%
Aetnamajor	$46 - $936	8%
Cignamajor	$64 - $1,618	11%
Humanamajor	$63 - $292	11%
Kaiser Permanentemajor	$135 - $388	24%
Ambetter (Centene)	$65 - $1,272	12%
Clover Health	$64 - $179	11%
GEHA	$205 - $556	37%
Health Net	$65 - $621	12%
HealthPartners	$65 - $1,713	12%
Medica	$1,753	314%
Medical Mutual	$936	168%
Meridian	$64 - $224	11%
Molina	$65 - $224	12%
Oscar Health	$126 - $1,076	23%
Paramount	$65 - $224	12%
Presbyterian	$64 - $224	11%
Sanford Health Plan	$108 - $315	19%
Tufts Health Plan	$65 - $224	12%
UCare	$117 - $348	21%
WellMed	$64 - $179	11%
WellSense	$65 - $224	12%
+ 362 smaller / regional plans	$63 - $2,697

Government programs also on file: Medicare, Medicaid, Military & VA.

Excludes 17 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, 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: 93306.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 93306.
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 Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center

Compare: Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) at other IA hospitals

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