Skull X-ray cost in Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 8 hospitals list a cash price for skull X-ray, fewer than 4 views: from $193.05 to $571.00, with a median of $307.50. The lowest listed price is at MercyOne Newton Medical Center — $114.45 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $204.60 at 76 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 6 cities for code 70250, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Sep 26, 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 Newton Medical Center lowest Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Xr Skull < 4 Views | $193.05 | $297.00 | $98.96–$297.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Guthrie County Hospital Guthrie Center, IA · (641) 747-2201 X-ray of skull, 1-3 views | $239.00 | $239.00 | $59.52–$219.88 | — | Sep 26, 2026 source file |
| Madison County Memorial Hospital Winterset, IA · (515) 462-2373 X-ray of skull, 1-3 views | $287.20 | $359.00 | $59.52–$359.00 | 20% | Sep 23, 2026 source file |
| Dallas County Hospital Perry, IA · (515) 465-3547 XR SKULL <4 VIEWS | $294.00 | $452.00 | $32.21–$384.20 | 35% | — source file |
| Broadlawns Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 282-2200 X-Ray Exam Of Skull | $321.00 | $321.00 | — | — | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Xr Skull < 4 Views | $371.15 | $571.00 | $98.68–$571.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC SKULL LESS THAN 4 VIEWS | $401.18 | $501.47 | $102.46–$273.11 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC SKULL LESS THAN 4 VIEWS | $401.18 | $501.47 | $101.24–$258.79 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines, IA HC Xr Skull < 4 Views | $571.00 | $571.00 | $98.68–$571.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $193.05, median $307.50, highest $571.00 — a 3.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $346.08. 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 4 of 7 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
A skull X-ray takes up to three pictures of the bones of the head. It is used less often than before, because a head CT (70450) shows the brain and skull better after an injury.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers taking the X-ray. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.