Rib and chest X-ray cost in Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 7 hospitals list a cash price for rib X-ray, one side, with a chest view, 3 or more views: from $98.00 to $494.00, with a median of $335.00. The lowest listed price is at Broadlawns Medical Center — $237.00 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $287.40 at 79 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 5 cities for code 71101, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadlawns Medical Center one side lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 282-2200 Ribs Unilateral W/Pa Chest File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $98.00 | $98.00 | — | — |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center one side Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Xr Ribs W/Posterior Anterior Chest 3 Views Lt+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $210.60 | $324.00 | $65.12–$324.00 | 35% |
| Madison County Memorial Hospital Winterset, IA · (515) 462-2373 X-ray of ribs on side of body, minimum of 3 views File of Sep 23, 2026 · source file | $323.20 | $404.00 | $59.52–$404.00 | 20% |
| Dallas County Hospital one side Perry, IA · (515) 465-3547 XR RIBS UNILAT/CHEST RIGHT >= 3 VIEWS,Right Side (used to identify procedures performed on the right side of the body)+1 more line at this price source file | $335.00 | $515.00 | $37.65–$437.75 | 35% |
| Guthrie County Hospital Guthrie Center, IA · (641) 747-2201 X-ray of ribs on side of body, minimum of 3 views File of Sep 26, 2026 · source file | $338.00 | $338.00 | $59.52–$310.96 | — |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC RIBS CHEST UNIL MIN 3 VIEWS+1 more line at this price File of Jan 28, 2026 · source file | $491.26 | $614.07 | $101.24–$273.11 | 20% |
| MercyOne Newton Medical Center one side Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Xr Ribs W/Posterior Anterior Chest 3 Views Lt+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $494.00 | $760.00 | $98.96–$760.00 | 35% |
| Broadlawns Medical Center one side Des Moines, IA · (515) 282-2200 X-Ray Exam Of Ribs/Chest+1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $494.00 | $494.00 | — | — |
Outpatient: lowest $98.00, median $335.00, highest $494.00 — a 5.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $335.00. 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 6 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 study takes pictures of the ribs on one side plus a front view of the chest. The chest view checks the lungs for a collapsed lung or bleeding after a rib injury.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers taking the X-ray. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.