Chest CT scan with contrast cost in Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for diagnostic CT scan of the chest, with contrast dye: from $452.00 to $4,352.00, with a median of $1,980.23. The lowest listed price is at UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical — $1,528.23 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $1,554.60 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 cities for code 71260, 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 CHG DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY THORAX W/CONTRAST | $452.00 | $565.00 | $152.26–$635.30 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 CHG DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY THORAX W/CONTRAST | $452.00 | $565.00 | $152.26–$635.30 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC CT Thorax Diagnostic W/Contrast | $1,812.20 | $2,788.00 | $166.03–$2,788.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC CT Thorax Diagnostic W/Contrast | $2,148.25 | $3,305.00 | $165.56–$3,305.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC CT CHEST W CONTRAST DIAG | $2,759.81 | $3,449.76 | $169.48–$1,493.75 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC CT CHEST W CONTRAST DIAG | $2,759.81 | $3,449.76 | $171.51–$1,493.75 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa West Des Moines, IA HC CT Thorax Diagnostic W/Contrast | $4,352.00 | $4,352.00 | $165.56–$4,352.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC CT Thorax Diagnostic W/Contrast | $9,415.50 | — | $405.77–$438.90 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $452.00, median $1,980.23, highest $4,352.00 — a 9.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $1,980.23. 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 3 of 4 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 chest CT with contrast uses X-rays and dye injected into a vein to make detailed pictures of the lungs, blood vessels, lymph nodes and other chest tissues. It is used to look at masses, enlarged lymph nodes, infections and for cancer staging.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the scan; the contrast agent may appear as a separate line on some bills. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.