Elbow X-ray cost in Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 8 hospitals list a cash price for elbow X-ray, complete, 3 or more views: from $215.00 to $615.00, with a median of $287.00. The lowest listed price is at Guthrie County Hospital — $72.00 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $216.70 at 84 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 6 cities for code 73080, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guthrie County Hospital lowest Guthrie Center, IA · (641) 747-2201 X-ray of elbow, minimum of 3 views | $215.00 | $215.00 | $59.52–$197.80 | — | Sep 26, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Newton Medical Center one side Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Xr Elbow >= 3 Views Lt | $218.40 | $336.00 | $82.37–$336.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Newton Medical Center one side Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Xr Elbow >= 3 Views Rt | $218.40 | $336.00 | $82.37–$336.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Madison County Memorial Hospital Winterset, IA · (515) 462-2373 X-ray of elbow, minimum of 3 views | $252.80 | $316.00 | $59.52–$316.00 | 20% | Sep 23, 2026 source file |
| Dallas County Hospital one side Perry, IA · (515) 465-3547 PANORA-XRAY ELBOW RT, MIN 3 VIEWS,Right Side (used to identify procedures performed on the right side of the body) | $253.00 | $389.00 | $29.78–$330.65 | 35% | — source file |
| Dallas County Hospital one side Perry, IA · (515) 465-3547 PANORA-XRAY ELBOW LEFT, MIN 3 VIEWS,Left side (used to identify procedures performed on the left side of the body) | $253.00 | $389.00 | $29.78–$330.65 | 35% | — source file |
| Dallas County Hospital one side Perry, IA · (515) 465-3547 XR ELBOW RIGHT MIN 3 VIEW >=,Right Side (used to identify procedures performed on the right side of the body) | $272.00 | $419.00 | $29.78–$356.15 | 35% | — source file |
| Dallas County Hospital one side Perry, IA · (515) 465-3547 XR ELBOW LEFT MIN 3 VIEW >=,Left side (used to identify procedures performed on the left side of the body) | $272.00 | $419.00 | $29.78–$356.15 | 35% | — source file |
| Broadlawns Medical Center one side Des Moines, IA · (515) 282-2200 X-Ray Exam Of Elbow | $321.00 | $321.00 | — | — | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Broadlawns Medical Center one side Des Moines, IA · (515) 282-2200 X-Ray Exam Of Elbow | $321.00 | $321.00 | — | — | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Xr Elbow >= 3 Views Bl | $327.60 | $504.00 | $82.37–$504.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center one side Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Xr Elbow >= 3 Views Lt | $399.75 | $615.00 | $82.14–$615.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center one side Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Xr Elbow >= 3 Views Rt | $399.75 | $615.00 | $82.14–$615.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC ELBOW MIN 3 VIEWS | $404.93 | $506.16 | $83.82–$219.17 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC ELBOW MIN 3 VIEWS | $404.93 | $506.16 | $84.83–$226.11 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Xr Elbow >= 3 Views Bl | $599.95 | $923.00 | $82.14–$923.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center one side Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Xr Elbow >= 3 Views Rt | $615.00 | — | $2.88–$14,087.30 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center one side West Des Moines, IA HC Xr Elbow >= 3 Views Rt | $615.00 | $615.00 | $82.14–$615.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center one side West Des Moines, IA HC Xr Elbow >= 3 Views Lt | $615.00 | $615.00 | $82.14–$615.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines, IA HC Xr Elbow >= 3 Views Bl | $923.00 | $923.00 | $82.14–$923.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $215.00, median $287.00, highest $615.00 — a 2.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $360.38. 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 complete elbow X-ray takes three or more pictures of the elbow from different angles. It is the usual study after an elbow injury in children and adults, because some fractures show only on angled views.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers taking the X-ray. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.