Shave skin biopsy cost in Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for tangential (shave-style) skin biopsy, one lesion: from $109.94 to $244.80, with a median of $177.37. The lowest listed price is at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center — $67.43 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $203.53 at 28 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 11102, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Mar 31, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 PR Biopsy Skin Tangential Single Lesion | $109.94 | — | $9.59–$185.57 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR TANGENTIAL BIOPSY SKIN SINGLE LESION | $244.80 | $306.00 | $34.05–$122.01 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR TANGENTIAL BIOPSY SKIN SINGLE LESION | $244.80 | $306.00 | $34.05–$122.01 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Biopsy Skin Tangential Single Lesion | $261.30 | $402.00 | $80.80–$789.21 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC TANGNTL BX SKIN SINGLE LES | $553.92 | $692.40 | $189.16–$483.56 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC TANGNTL BX SKIN SINGLE LES | $553.92 | $692.40 | $181.41–$510.30 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $109.94, median $177.37, highest $244.80 — a 2.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $252.90. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 1 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
In this biopsy a thin layer of a skin spot is shaved or scooped off with a blade or curette and sent for testing. It is used to check moles, growths or rashes for skin cancer or other conditions.
What the price covers
The price covers taking the sample from one lesion. The pathologist's exam of the sample and the office or clinic visit are usually billed separately.