What Medicare pays Iowa hospitals and surgery centers for knee, hip and shoulder replacement, what hospitals list, and which cost the most and the least.
Iowa requires a certificate of need for new surgery centers.
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| Hospital | City | Inpatient paid | List price | Outpatient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercyone Cedar Falls Medical Center | Cedar Falls | $12,269 | $85,996 | $11,080 |
| Mary Greeley Medical Center | Ames | $12,476 | $46,104 | $11,234 |
| Finley Hospital | Dubuque | $12,640 | $49,625 | $11,151 |
| St Lukes Hospital | Cedar Rapids | $12,910 | $51,961 | $11,245 |
| Mercy Medical Center - Cedar Rapids | Cedar Rapids | $12,975 | $47,881 | $11,286 |
| Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center | Dubuque | $13,114 | $53,392 | $11,925 |
| Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center | Des Moines | $13,122 | $60,835 | $11,168 |
| Mercyone Genesis | Davenport | $13,249 | $45,206 | $11,085 |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs | $13,475 | $43,752 | $11,751 |
| Lakes Regional Healthcare | Spirit Lake | $13,677 | $43,362 | $11,245 |
| Hospital | City | Inpatient paid | List price | Outpatient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center | Iowa City | $17,774 | $82,160 | $11,534 |
| Spencer Municipal Hospital | Spencer | $15,347 | $41,934 | $11,144 |
| Mercyone North Iowa Medical Center | Mason City | $14,545 | $67,185 | $12,565 |
| Mercyone Waterloo Medical Center | Waterloo | $14,121 | $78,594 | — |
| Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi | Des Moines | $13,679 | $69,009 | $11,208 |
| Lakes Regional Healthcare | Spirit Lake | $13,677 | $43,362 | $11,245 |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs | $13,475 | $43,752 | $11,751 |
| Mercyone Genesis | Davenport | $13,249 | $45,206 | $11,085 |
| Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center | Des Moines | $13,122 | $60,835 | $11,168 |
| Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center | Dubuque | $13,114 | $53,392 | $11,925 |
In 2024 Medicare paid Iowa hospitals a median $13,249 per inpatient hip or knee replacement stay (MS-DRG 470, 15 hospitals) and a median $11,283 per outpatient case. An orthopedic surgery center is paid about $8,447 for a knee.
Mercyone Cedar Falls Medical Center ($12,269), Mary Greeley Medical Center ($12,476), Finley Hospital ($12,640).
The median list (chargemaster) price is $51,961, about 3.9× what Medicare pays.
Iowa requires a certificate of need for new surgery centers. CON covers new institutional health services including ASCs; a 2024 law exempted cosmetic and plastic surgery at ASCs and a 2026 law (HF 2635) raised thresholds.