Breast biopsy, ultrasound-guided cost in Waterloo, IA
In Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for ultrasound-guided breast needle biopsy with marker clip, first lesion: from $322.00 to $1,476.00, with a median of $899.00. The lowest listed price is at MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center — $577.00 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $1,476.00 at 25 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 19083, 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center lowest Waterloo, IA · (319) 272-8000 PR Biopsy Breast Plcacement Loc Device Perc U/S Guidance 1st Lesion | $322.00 | $322.00 | $41.64–$322.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Allen Hospital Waterloo, IA · (319) 235-3941 PR BX BREAST W DEVICE 1ST LESION ULTRASOUND GUIDE | $1,476.00 | $1,845.00 | $138.08–$501.61 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Allen Hospital Waterloo, IA · (319) 235-3941 HC BX BREAST 1ST LESION US IMAG | $1,997.65 | $2,497.06 | $1,176.12–$4,415.41 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center one side Waterloo, IA · (319) 272-8000 HC Biopsy Breast Placement Localization Device(S) Percutaneous Ultrasound Guidance 1st Lesion Rt | $5,770.70 | $8,878.00 | $138.08–$8,878.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center one side Waterloo, IA · (319) 272-8000 HC Biopsy Breast Placement Localization Device(S) Percutaneous Ultrasound Guidance 1st Lesion Lt | $5,770.70 | $8,878.00 | $138.08–$8,878.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo, IA · (319) 272-8000 HC Biopsy Breast Placement Localization Device(S) Percutaneous Ultrasound Guidance 1st Lesion Bl | $8,656.05 | $13,317.00 | $138.08–$13,317.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Allen Hospital both sides Waterloo, IA · (319) 235-3941 HC BX BREAST 1ST LESION US IMAG (BILAT) | $3,995.30 | $4,994.12 | $1,342.97–$4,415.41 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $322.00, median $899.00, highest $1,476.00 — a 4.6× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $3,995.30, median $3,995.30, highest $3,995.30.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $993.50. 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 0 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 needle guided by ultrasound takes tissue samples from a breast lump or area of concern, and a tiny marker clip is placed at the site. It is usually done after an abnormal mammogram or breast ultrasound.
What the price covers
The price covers the biopsy of the first lesion with ultrasound guidance and the clip. The pathologist's exam is billed separately, and a follow-up mammogram to check the clip position may also be billed separately.