AFP test cost in Des Moines, IA — inpatient
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) blood test as an inpatient: from $64.28 to $206.00, with a median of $117.18. The lowest listed price is at UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical — $52.90 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $89.25 at 77 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 4 cities for code 82105, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Sep 1, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC ALPHA-FETOPROTEIN, SERUM+1 more line at this price File of Jan 28, 2026 · source file | $64.28 | $80.35 | $34.79 | 20% |
| Broadlawns Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 282-2200 Lab 82105 Alphafeto Protein File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $77.00 | $77.00 | — | — |
| Broadlawns Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 282-2200 Alpha-Fetoprotein Serum File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $81.00 | $81.00 | — | — |
| Dallas County Hospital Perry, IA · (515) 465-3547 ALPHA FETOPROTEIN, NEURAL TUBE DISORDER+4 more lines at this price source file | $105.00 | $161.00 | $16.43–$136.85 | 35% |
| MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Alpha-Fetoprotein Tumor Marker+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $129.35 | $199.00 | $16.25–$199.00 | 35% |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC External Alpha-Fetoprotein Maternal+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $133.90 | $206.00 | $16.25–$206.00 | 35% |
| MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines, IA HC Alpha-Fetoprotein Tumor Marker+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $206.00 | $206.00 | $16.25–$206.00 | — |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Mayo Alpha Fetoprotein Maternal File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $223.60 | $344.00 | $16.25–$344.00 | 35% |
Inpatient: lowest $64.28, median $117.18, highest $206.00 — a 3.2× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $105.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 5 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
An AFP test measures a protein made by the liver and by a developing baby. In adults it is used to watch for liver cancer in people with cirrhosis and to follow some testicular cancers.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.