Special Gram or Giemsa Stain for Microorganism Cost in Iowa
What this costs without insurance: real self-pay cash prices and insurance-negotiated rates at 60 Iowa hospitals. CPT 87205. Sourced directly from each facility's CMS-mandated transparency file. Dataset: Q4 2026.
📊 Median $35.75
📉 Low $5.00
📈 High $154
🏥 60 hospitals
🏛️ 44 with insurance contracts
Hospital comparison — Iowa
Sorted by cash price (lowest first). Showing top 60 of 60 hospitals.
Billed more than $35.75 for this? That gap is evidence.
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| Hospital | Cash | UHC | Aetna | BCBS | Humana | Molina | Cigna | MultiPlan | Centene |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LORING HOSPITAL SAC CITY |
$5.00 | $5.94 | $5.00 | — | $6.25 | $6.25 | $6.00 | — | — |
| CHI HEALTH MERCY CORNING CORNING |
$6.72 | $4.27 | — | $4.27 | $4.27 | $6.27 | — | $13.72 | $4.36 |
| CHI HEALTH MISSOURI VALLEY MISSOURI VALLEY |
$6.86 | $4.27 | — | $12.64 | $4.27 | $6.27 | — | $13.72 | $4.36 |
| BUENA VISTA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER TH ST STORM LAKE |
$8.00 | $5.30 | $9.70 | $10.00 | $5.30 | — | $9.00 | — | $5.30 |
| UI HEALTH CARE MEDICAL CENTER DOWNTOWN IOWA CITY |
$8.40 | $4.27 | $4.27 | $4.27 | — | $4.27 | — | $11.04 | — |
| UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITAL & CLINICS IOWA CITY |
$8.40 | $4.27 | $4.27 | $4.27 | — | $4.27 | — | $11.04 | — |
| STORY COUNTY HOSPITAL NORTH NEVADA |
$9.60 | $9.12 | $11.64 | $10.44 | $12.00 | $12.00 | — | — | — |
| UNITYPOINT HEALTH ST. LUKE'S SIOUX CITY |
$11.20 | $2.56 | $4.36 | $4.27 | $4.48 | $4.36 | $5.55 | — | — |
| UNITYPOINT HEALTH BLANK CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL DES MOINES |
$11.20 | $2.56 | $4.36 | $4.27 | — | $4.36 | $5.55 | — | — |
| UNITYPOINT HEALTH MARSHALLTOWN MARSHALLTOWN |
$11.20 | $2.56 | $4.36 | $4.27 | $4.48 | $4.36 | $5.55 | — | — |
| UNITYPOINT HEALTH TRINITY BETTENDORF |
$11.20 | $2.56 | $4.36 | $4.27 | $4.48 | — | $5.55 | — | $6.83 |
| UNITYPOINT HEALTH ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL CEDAR RAPIDS |
$11.20 | $2.56 | $4.36 | $4.27 | $4.48 | $4.36 | $5.55 | — | — |
| UNITYPOINT HEALTH TRINITY MUSCATINE MUSCATINE |
$11.20 | $2.56 | $4.36 | $4.27 | $4.48 | — | $5.55 | — | $6.83 |
| UNITYPOINT HEALTH TRINITY REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER FORT DODGE |
$11.20 | $2.56 | $4.36 | $4.27 | $4.48 | — | $5.55 | — | — |
| UNITYPOINT HEALTH ALLEN HOSPITAL WATERLOO |
$11.20 | $2.56 | $4.36 | $4.27 | $4.48 | $4.36 | $5.55 | — | — |
| UNITYPOINT HEALTHCARE FINLEY HOSPITAL DUBUQUE |
$11.20 | $2.56 | $4.27 | $4.27 | $4.48 | $4.36 | $5.55 | — | — |
| UNITYPOINT HEALTH IOWA LUTHERAN HOSPITAL DES MOINES |
$11.20 | $2.56 | $4.36 | $4.27 | $4.48 | $4.36 | $5.55 | — | — |
| UNITYPOINT HEALTH GRINNELL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER GRINNELL |
$11.20 | $2.56 | $4.36 | $4.27 | $4.48 | $4.36 | $5.55 | — | — |
| UNITYPOINT HEALTH JONES REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER ANAMOSA |
$11.20 | $2.56 | $8.04 | $4.27 | $19.77 | — | $5.55 | — | — |
| GREENE COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER JEFFERSON |
$11.76 | $21.00 | $21.00 | — | $10.92 | $10.92 | — | — | $10.92 |
| RINGGOLD COUNTY HOSPITAL MT AYR |
$15.30 | — | $9.69 | — | $9.69 | — | — | — | — |
| MONTGOMERY COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL RED OAK |
$15.40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MERCYONE WATERLOO MEDICAL CENTER WATERLOO |
$20.80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MERCYONE CEDAR FALLS MEDICAL CENTER CEDAR FALLS |
$20.80 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BROADLAWNS MEDICAL CENTER DES MOINES |
$22.00 | $5.12 | $22.00 | — | — | — | $17.60 | — | — |
| OTTUMWA REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER PENNSYLVANIA AVE OTTUMWA |
$22.36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| HAWARDEN REGIONAL HEALTHCARE HARWARDEN |
$27.20 | $16.15 | — | $16.15 | — | — | — | — | — |
| SPENCER HOSPITAL SPENCER |
$34.50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MERCYONE ELKADER MEDICAL CENTER ELKADER |
$35.75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MERCYONE NEWTON MEDICAL CENTER NEWTON |
$35.75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MERCYONE DYERSVILLE MEDICAL CENTER DYERSVILLE |
$35.75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MERCYONE OELWEIN MEDICAL CENTER OELWEIN |
$35.75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MERCYONE NEW HAMPTON NEW HAMPTON |
$35.75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| PALO ALTO COUNTY HOSPITAL EMMETSBURG |
$37.50 | $24.00 | — | $11.64 | $11.87 | $32.59 | — | — | — |
| CLARKE COUNTY PUBLIC HOSPITAL OSCEOLA |
$38.29 | — | — | — | — | $6.06 | — | — | — |
| SANFORD SHELDON MEDICAL CENTER SHELDON |
$38.40 | $14.83 | $14.83 | $14.83 | — | — | — | $43.20 | — |
| LUCAS COUNTY HEALTH CENTER CHARITON |
$39.60 | $24.20 | $24.20 | — | $4.27 | $30.80 | — | — | — |
| MERCYONE DUBUQUE DUBUQUE |
$40.95 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BURGESS HEALTH CENTER ONAWA |
$41.60 | $52.00 | $52.00 | $52.00 | $52.00 | — | — | — | — |
| REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER MANCHESTER |
$41.60 | $37.70 | $34.34 | — | — | — | $88.03 | $95.00 | — |
| AVERA MERRILL PIONEER HOSPITAL ROCK RAPIDS |
$41.71 | $36.68 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AVERA HOLY FAMILY HOSPITAL ESTHERVILLE |
$41.71 | $36.68 | — | $7.59 | — | — | — | — | — |
| JACKSON COUNTY REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER MAQUOKETA |
$42.00 | $23.10 | $35.24 | $40.24 | $21.42 | — | — | — | — |
| DALLAS COUNTY HOSPITAL PERRY |
$43.00 | $30.36 | $29.75 | — | $29.75 | $33.66 | — | — | — |
| LAKES REGIONAL HEALTHCARE SPIRIT LAKE |
$43.70 | $35.05 | — | $4.27 | — | — | — | — | — |
| FLOYD VALLEY HOSPITAL LE MARS |
$46.00 | $39.24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| STEWART MEMORIAL COMMUNITY HOSPITAL LAKE CITY |
$47.20 | $30.68 | $29.50 | — | $30.68 | $52.00 | $38.94 | $29.50 | — |
| OSCEOLA REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER SIBLEY |
$50.47 | $53.82 | — | $6.31 | — | — | — | — | — |
| SIOUX CENTER HEALTH AVERA SIOUX CENTER |
$51.41 | $45.21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CHI HEALTH MERCY COUNCIL BLUFFS COUNCIL BLUFFS |
$51.66 | $4.27 | — | $4.27 | $4.27 | $4.22 | — | $87.33 | $4.14 |
| MERCYONE CENTERVILLE MEDICAL CENTER CENTERVILLE |
$55.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| HEGG HEALTH CENTER ROCK VALLEY |
$55.00 | $46.92 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MERCYONE CLINTON CLINTON |
$55.90 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MERCYONE NORTH IOWA MASON CITY |
$57.85 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| PELLA REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER PELLA |
$59.00 | $4.27 | $22.42 | $22.42 | $22.42 | $20.65 | — | $41.30 | — |
| BUCHANAN COUNTY HEALTH CENTER INDEPENDENCE |
$60.07 | $38.00 | $25.44 | $35.34 | $25.44 | $24.74 | $58.66 | — | — |
| GREATER REGIONAL HEALTH W TOWNLINE ST CRESTON |
$73.50 | $59.00 | $63.00 | $64.00 | $64.00 | $59.00 | $89.00 | — | — |
| MERCYONE DES MOINES MEDICAL CENTER DES MOINES |
$96.85 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| REGIONAL HEALTH SERVICES OF HOWARD COUNTY CRESCO |
$112 | $73.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MERCYONE WEST DES MOINES MEDICAL CENTER WEST DES MOINES |
$154 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
What these prices are. Each figure is the facility’s own published self-pay (cash) price for CPT 87205, filed under the federal price transparency rule (45 CFR Part 180). Hospital facility charges may not include separate physician, anesthesia, or pathology fees. National median for this code: $39.60 across all reporting facilities. Dataset: Q4 2026. Always confirm the final price with the facility before booking.
Billed more than $35.75 for this?
That is the median of what the 60 Iowa hospitals above publish for Special gram or giemsa stain for microorganism — their own figures, filed under federal law. A bill well above them is evidence you can put in writing.
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Frequently asked questions
- How much does special gram or giemsa stain for microorganism cost in Iowa?
- Cash prices for special gram or giemsa stain for microorganism (CPT 87205) in Iowa range from $5.00 to $154, with a median of $35.75. Prices vary widely by hospital.
- Where can I find the cheapest special gram or giemsa stain for microorganism in Iowa?
- The cheapest Iowa hospital published cash price for this procedure is $5.00. Use the table above sorted by cash price to find the lowest-priced facility near you.
- Are these the prices I'll pay?
- These are the rates hospitals publish. Final price depends on your insurance, deductible, and the specific services billed. Always confirm with the facility and your insurer before any procedure.
- Why do prices vary so much between hospitals?
- Hospitals set cash prices independently, and insurance contracts negotiate different rates per payer. Two facilities a few miles apart can charge 5-10x different prices for the same procedure.
- Where does this data come from?
- Federal law (45 CFR § 180) requires hospitals to publish their pricing in a machine-readable file. We aggregate these files and republish in a consumer-friendly format.
Special gram or giemsa stain for microorganism in nearby states
Other procedures in Iowa
Methodology. Cash prices and insurance-negotiated rates published by each Iowa facility under federal price transparency rules (45 CFR § 180). CPT code 87205 (Labs). Data refreshed regularly; verify with the facility before any procedure.