Potassium test cost in Des Moines, IA — inpatient
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for potassium blood test as an inpatient: from $24.00 to $117.00, with a median of $43.78. The lowest listed price is at Broadlawns Medical Center — $19.78 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $34.40 at 81 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 4 cities for code 84132, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadlawns Medical Center lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 282-2200 Assay Of Serum Potassium File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $24.00 | $24.00 | — | — |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC ASSAY OF SERUM POTASSIUM+1 more line at this price File of Jan 28, 2026 · source file | $33.57 | $41.96 | $18.17 | 20% |
| MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Potassium Serum/Plasma/Whole Blood File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $43.55 | $67.00 | $4.61–$67.00 | 35% |
| Dallas County Hospital Perry, IA · (515) 465-3547 POTASSIUM+2 more lines at this price File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $44.00 | $67.00 | $4.66–$56.95 | 34% |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Potassium Serum/Plasma/Whole Blood File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $78.65 | $121.00 | $4.61–$121.00 | 35% |
| MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines, IA HC Potassium Serum/Plasma/Whole Blood File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $117.00 | $117.00 | $4.61–$117.00 | — |
Inpatient: lowest $24.00, median $43.78, highest $117.00 — a 4.9× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $43.55 — 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
A potassium test measures the level of potassium in the blood. Doctors check it for people on diuretics or blood pressure drugs, with kidney disease, an irregular heartbeat, or vomiting and diarrhea.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.