Umbilical/ventral hernia repair cost in Waterloo, IA — inpatient
In Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, 3 hospitals list a cash price for first repair of a small front abdominal hernia (e.g. umbilical), under 3 cm as an inpatient: from $856.00 to $1,218.00, with a median of $1,218.00. The lowest listed price is at Allen Hospital — $362.00 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $856.00 at 24 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 49591, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen Hospital lowest Waterloo, IA · (319) 235-3941 PR RPR AA HERNIA 1ST < 3 CM REDUCIBLE | $856.00 | $1,070.00 | $299.57–$1,069.72 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo, IA · (319) 272-8000 PR Repr Ant Abd Hernia(S) Any Appr Init Incl Impl < 3 Cm Reducible | $1,218.00 | $1,218.00 | $100.65–$1,218.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Sartori Memorial Hospital Cedar Falls, IA · (319) 268-3000 PR Repr Ant Abd Hernia(S) Any Appr Init Incl Impl < 3 Cm Reducible | $1,218.00 | $1,218.00 | $100.65–$1,218.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $856.00, median $1,218.00, highest $1,218.00 — a 1.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $856.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 1 of 3 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
This is the first repair of a hernia in the front wall of the abdomen, such as an umbilical (belly button), ventral or incisional hernia, when the total defect is under 3 cm and the tissue can be pushed back in. The code applies to open, laparoscopic or robotic repair.
What the price covers
The facility price covers the operating room and recovery; for this code, mesh placement is part of the repair, though the mesh itself may be listed as a supply. The surgeon's fee and anesthesia are billed separately.