Shock wave lithotripsy cost in Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for shock-wave lithotripsy to break up kidney stones (from outside the body): from $1,839.20 to $18,744.30, with a median of $10,291.75. The lowest listed price is at UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical — $8,452.55 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $1,839.20 at 18 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 50590, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR FRAGMENT KIDNEY STONE/ ESWL | $1,839.20 | $2,299.00 | $519.67–$1,792.27 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR FRAGMENT KIDNEY STONE/ ESWL | $1,839.20 | $2,299.00 | $519.67–$1,792.27 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa one side West Des Moines, IA HC Lithotripsy Eswl Lt | $18,744.30 | — | $0.96–$6,843.44 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,839.20, median $10,291.75, highest $18,744.30 — a 10.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $1,839.20. 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
Shock-wave lithotripsy breaks kidney or ureter stones into small pieces with sound waves aimed from outside the body, so the pieces can pass in the urine. No cut is made, and it is usually done under sedation or anesthesia.
What the price covers
The listed price usually covers the lithotripsy treatment in the facility. The urologist, anesthesia, X-rays and any stent placement are often billed separately; some hospitals rent the machine from an outside company, which can change how the charge is listed.