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Cholecystectomy Cost in Iowa (2026 Price Guide)

What does a cholecystectomy cost in Iowa?

You could pay $1,614 or $2,032 for the same cholecystectomy in Iowa — depending entirely on which facility you choose. The median cash price across 40 reporting hospitals is $1,676. This data comes directly from hospital price transparency files published under federal law.

How prices are distributed across Iowa hospitals:
  • Bottom 25% of hospitals: under $1,614
  • Median: $1,676
  • Above median (top 30%): $2,032+
Example — two patients in Council Bluffs:
  • Patient A (high-cost facility): ~$2,032
  • Patient B (lower-cost facility): ~$1,614
Same procedure. Same week. $418 difference.

Cheapest Cholecystectomy Providers in Iowa

Based on declared cash/self-pay prices from CMS hospital price transparency files.

# Facility City Price vs Median
5 Greater Regional Medical Center IA $1,530 -$146
6 MERCY MEDICAL CENTER - CEDAR RAPIDS IA $1,555 -$121
7 Gundersen Health System West Union, IA $1,565 -$111
8 Mercy Medical Center-Clinton Inc Clinton, IA $1,577 -$99
9 Trinity Regional Medical Center Fort Dodge, IA $1,614 -$62
10 UnityPoint Health Marshalltown Marshalltown, IA $1,614 -$62
11 Allen Memorial Hospital Corporation Waterloo, IA $1,614 -$62
12 The Finley Hospital Dubuque, IA $1,614 -$62

Prices are declared self-pay rates. Contact each facility for a formal quote before scheduling.

The facility you choose matters more than almost anything else — the same procedure, same quality, same state can cost 5× more at one hospital versus the one down the road.

Compare all procedure costs   → Cholecystectomy costs nationwide

Check YOUR hospital's pricing → Estimate YOUR exact cost →

Worth knowing: A small number of hospitals report very high prices above $2,832, which pulls the overall range wider than what most patients encounter. The typical range above is a better guide for planning.
Every hospital in this dataset offers a cash price — with a median of $1,692. If your deductible hasn't been met, always ask for the self-pay rate before scheduling.

What you'll actually pay — example scenarios

Your situation Estimated out-of-pocket
Deductible not yet met (pay in full) ~$1,676
Deductible met — 20% coinsurance ~$335
Out-of-network provider $3,687+

Based on the state median of $1,676. Your actual cost depends on your plan deductible, coinsurance rate, and network tier. Get YOUR personalized estimate →

What this means for you

If you haven't met your deductible, you are effectively a cash-pay patient.

That means:

  • You should shop prices directly — the same way you'd compare any major purchase
  • Insurance may not get you a better deal than the cash price
  • The cheapest facility can save you $1,142+ vs. the median.

This is the single biggest lever most patients have to reduce their cost.

Lower-cost options in Iowa start around $1,614 or below. Most hospitals cluster between $1,614 and $2,101. A smaller group reports prices above that — often academic medical centers or high-cost markets.

If you're comparing specific hospitals, the lowest self-pay rates reported in this dataset include: Dallas County Hospital in Perry (cash price from $1,524); Gundersen Health System in West Union (cash price from $1,565); Mercy Medical Center-Clinton Inc in Clinton (cash price from $1,577). These are declared cash prices — contact each facility for a formal quote before scheduling.

Where cholecystectomy costs vary in Iowa

Each pin represents a hospital that filed price transparency data. Green pins are below the state cash-price average; red are above. Click any pin for facility name and price details.

Below state avg Above state avg Click a pin for facility details.

Estimate YOUR exact out-of-pocket cost →

Quick decision guide:
  • Best value hospitals (lowest prices): Greene County Medical Center: $534; Buena Vista Regional Medical Center: $1,505; Great River Health: $1,511
  • Most expensive: Sanford Sheldon Medical Center: ~$8,080; OTTUMWA REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER: ~$6,800

→ Choosing the right facility can save $1,142+ vs. the state median.

Iowa Cholecystectomy prices by facility

All prices below come from hospital chargemasters — the official price lists each hospital must publish under federal law. Gross charge is the undiscounted list price; cash price is the self-pay rate; negotiated range covers the spread across insurance contracts.

How we calculate "Your Price" — We prioritize the most actionable price in this order:
  1. Cash price — the self-pay rate you can actually negotiate and pay
  2. Negotiated rate — if reported by the hospital across insurance contracts
  3. Gross charge — fallback only; this is the inflated list price few people pay

This reflects the real prices patients encounter — not inflated chargemaster rates.

# Facility City Your Price vs Median Gross Charge
#1 Greene County Medical Center Jefferson, IA $534 -$1,142 $1,952–$2,213
#2 Buena Vista Regional Medical Center IA $1,505 -$171 $1,882–$20,375
#3 Great River Health IA $1,511 -$165 $1,474–$19,931
#4 Dallas County Hospital Perry, IA $1,524 -$152 $2,039–$17,580
#5 Greater Regional Medical Center IA $1,530 -$146 $2,187–$4,513
#6 MERCY MEDICAL CENTER - CEDAR RAPIDS IA $1,555 -$121 $2,593–$2,727
#7 Gundersen Health System West Union, IA $1,565 -$111 $1,565–$14,379
#8 Mercy Medical Center-Clinton Inc Clinton, IA $1,577 -$99 $1,451–$40,537
#9 Trinity Regional Medical Center Fort Dodge, IA $1,614 -$62 $2,018–$27,321
#10 UnityPoint Health Marshalltown Marshalltown, IA $1,614 -$62 $2,018–$18,297
#11 Allen Memorial Hospital Corporation Waterloo, IA $1,614 -$62 $2,018–$28,372
#12 The Finley Hospital Dubuque, IA $1,614 -$62 $2,018–$24,052
#13 Trinity Medical Center Bettendorf, IA $1,614 -$62 $2,018–$26,737
#14 St Luke's Methodist Hospital Cedar Rapids, IA $1,614 -$62 $2,018–$25,920
#15 Grinnell Regional Medical Center Grinnell, IA $1,614 -$62 $2,018–$10,358
▼ Show 25 more Iowa hospitals
#16 Northwest Iowa Hospital Corporation Sioux City, IA $1,614 -$62 $2,018–$27,788
#17 Unity Healthcare Muscatine, IA $1,614 -$62 $2,018–$31,291
#18 St Luke'sJones Regional Medical Center Anamosa, IA $1,614 -$62 $2,018–$4,219
#19 CHI Health Mercy Corning Corning, IA $1,618 -$58 $1,780–$3,689
#20 CHI Health Missouri Valley Missouri Valley, IA $1,651 -$25 $1,780–$3,689
#21 Burgess Health Center Onawa, IA $1,676 +$0 $2,095–$4,400
#22 Broadlawns Medical Center IA $1,709 +$33 $1,057–$15,363
#23 Ringgold County Hospital Mt Ayr, IA $1,735 +$59 $1,623–$2,875
#24 Avera Merrill Pioneer Rock Rapids, IA $1,758 +$82 $1,813
#25 Hamilton County Public Hospital DBA Van Diest Medical Center Webster City, IA $1,776 +$100 $2,220–$3,802
#26 Compass Memorial Hospital Marengo, IA $1,778 +$102 $2,091–$3,559
#27 Great River Health Mount Pleasant, IA $1,789 +$113 $1,103–$12,263
#28 HAWARDEN REGIONAL HEALTHCARE Harwarden, IA $1,811 +$135 $2,130–$10,420
#29 CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA $2,032 +$356 $670–$2,032
#30 Guttenberg Municipal Hospital Box 550, IA $2,070 +$394 $2,588–$4,522
#31 Regional Medical Center Manchester, IA $2,101 +$425 $2,627–$20,211
#32 Jennie Edmundson Memorial Hospital Council Bluffs, IA $2,144 +$468 $926–$14,105
#33 St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital, Centerville Centerville, IA $2,363 +$687 $1,451–$10,998
#34 Hegg Health Center Rock Valley, IA $2,493 +$817 $2,493
#35 Montgomery County Memorial Hospital Red Oak, IA $2,510 +$834 $3,586–$4,001
#36 Story County Hospital Nevada, IA $2,528 +$852 $3,161
#37 Broadlawns Medical Center IA $3,024 +$1,348 $3,024–$3,480
#38 Stewart Memorial Community Hospital Lake City, IA $5,607 +$3,931 $7,009–$7,702
#39 OTTUMWA REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER IA $6,800 +$5,124 $17,001–$20,860
#40 Sanford Sheldon Medical Center Sheldon, IA $8,080 +$6,404 $10,100–$11,013

Source: CMS hospital price transparency machine-readable files. vs Median = savings or premium relative to the state median price. Gross Charge = undiscounted list price for reference.

Received a bill? Check it for errors → Estimate YOUR cost before you go →

Compare other procedures in Iowa:

Where you can save the most on cholecystectomy in Iowa

These facilities have the lowest declared prices relative to the state median — they represent the best opportunities to reduce your out-of-pocket cost for this procedure.

Facility City Your Price vs Median
Greene County Medical Center Jefferson, IA $534 -$1,142
Buena Vista Regional Medical Center IA $1,505 -$171
Great River Health IA $1,511 -$165
Dallas County Hospital Perry, IA $1,524 -$152
Greater Regional Medical Center IA $1,530 -$146

How to choose a lower-cost facility

  • Choose independent outpatient centers when possible — freestanding ASCs (ambulatory surgical centers) consistently charge less than hospital outpatient departments for identical procedures.
  • Ask for the cash price if your deductible isn't met — self-pay rates are often lower than what insurance pays before your deductible is satisfied, especially at facilities that have a high cash-price discount.
  • Avoid hospital outpatient departments for routine cases — hospital-owned locations add a facility fee that freestanding centers don't charge, often adding $500–$1,500 to the same procedure.
Important: Many procedures are done at ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) that are often 30–60% cheaper than hospital outpatient departments with the same clinical quality. Most ASCs are not in this hospital dataset — meaning your cheapest option may not even appear here. Ask your doctor if the procedure can be done at a freestanding ASC.

Most expensive cholecystectomy providers in Iowa

These facilities report the highest prices for this procedure. Academic medical centers and specialty hospitals often top this list — their gross charges rarely reflect what anyone actually pays, but understanding the spread helps you negotiate.

Facility City Price vs Median
Sanford Sheldon Medical Center Sheldon, IA $8,080 +$6,404
OTTUMWA REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER IA $6,800 +$5,124
Stewart Memorial Community Hospital Lake City, IA $5,607 +$3,931
Broadlawns Medical Center IA $3,024 +$1,348
Story County Hospital Nevada, IA $2,528 +$852

Why prices vary this much

A small number of hospitals (5) report very high prices above $2,832, which drives much of the overall price range. Excluding these, most facilities cluster in a significantly tighter band.

The spread comes from how each hospital sets its chargemaster (the undiscounted list price), what cash discounts it applies, and what rates it negotiates with each insurer. Facility classification matters too — a hospital-owned outpatient center adds a facility fee that a freestanding clinic does not. Understanding these mechanics is the first step to paying less.

Learn more:
Allowed amount vs negotiated rate — what your EOB is really saying
How to read your medical bill
Why hospital prices are so hard to find — and what to do about it

How insurance changes what you actually pay

Hospital list prices are only part of the picture. What you pay out of pocket depends on your deductible, your plan's out-of-pocket maximum, whether the facility is in-network, and whether your plan classifies the visit as outpatient or inpatient. A lower gross charge doesn't guarantee a lower bill if the facility is out-of-network or adds facility fees your plan doesn't cover.

Understand your cost before you go:
Deductible vs out-of-pocket max
EOB vs medical bill — complete guide
How to stop medical bill problems before they start (in-network vs out-of-network)

Compare cholecystectomy costs in nearby states

Explore all cholecystectomy cost data

See cholecystectomy costs across all states


CostKits compiles hospital price transparency data to help families make informed decisions. If you've received a bill for this procedure:
Analyze your medical bill for errors
How to negotiate your medical bills
Track and manage your healthcare costs (free account)

Other Procedure Costs in Iowa

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About the Author

John Caruso, FSA, MAAA

Healthcare actuary with 20+ years of experience in insurance pricing, medical billing systems, and healthcare cost analytics.

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Published May 10, 2026 · Updated May 10, 2026

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