Eye exam, new patient cost in Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for comprehensive eye exam by an eye doctor, new patient: from $312.00 to $312.00, with a median of $312.00. Across Iowa, the median is $312.00 at 12 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 92004, 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 Jan 28, 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 PR OPH SVCS MEDICAL XM&EVAL COMPRE NEW PT 1/> VST | $312.00 | $390.00 | $86.04–$264.04 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR OPH SVCS MEDICAL XM&EVAL COMPRE NEW PT 1/> VST | $312.00 | $390.00 | $86.04–$264.04 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $312.00, median $312.00, highest $312.00.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $312.00. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is not below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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
This is a full medical eye exam for a new patient by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. It usually checks vision, eye pressure, eye movement and the inside of the eye, often with dilating drops, and may take more than one visit.
What the price covers
The price covers the exam itself. Refraction, the test that sets a glasses prescription, is billed separately (92015), as are contact lens fitting, eye imaging and glasses.