BUN test cost in Iowa City, IA
In Iowa City, IA, 3 hospitals list a cash price for blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test: from $52.50 to $54.00, with a median of $52.50. The lowest listed price is at University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down and 1 other hospital. Across Iowa, the median is $33.60 at 81 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 84520, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 11, 2026 and Sep 8, 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 Iowa City, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down lowest Iowa City, IA · (319) 339-0300 HB UREA NITROGEN - MISC FLUID+1 more line at this price File of Mar 11, 2026 · source file | $52.50 | $75.00 | $3.75–$69.00 | 30% |
| University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics lowest Iowa City, IA · (319) 356-1616 HB UREA NITROGEN - MISC FLUID+1 more line at this price File of Mar 11, 2026 · source file | $52.50 | $75.00 | $3.75–$69.00 | 30% |
| Washington County Hospital Washington, IA · (319) 653-5481 Urea nitrogen level to assess kidney function, quantitative File of Sep 8, 2026 · source file | $54.00 | $72.00 | $6.00–$68.40 | 25% |
Outpatient: lowest $52.50, median $52.50, highest $54.00.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $52.50. 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 3 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 BUN test measures urea nitrogen, a waste product removed by the kidneys. It is used with creatinine to check kidney function and hydration.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.