EKG tracing cost in Des Moines, IA — inpatient
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG), tracing only, the hospital charge as an inpatient: from $18.40 to $314.00, with a median of $181.68. The lowest listed price is at UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical — $163.28 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $120.60 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 cities for code 93005, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Mar 31, 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 ELECTROCARDIOGRAM, TRACING | $18.40 | $23.00 | $5.46–$21.45 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR ELECTROCARDIOGRAM, TRACING | $18.40 | $23.00 | $5.46–$21.45 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Ecg 12 Lead Tracing Only | $159.25 | $245.00 | $5.46–$245.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC 12 LEAD EKG; TRACING ONLY | $204.09 | $255.11 | $110.46 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC 12 LEAD EKG; TRACING ONLY | $204.09 | $255.11 | $110.46 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Ecg 12 Lead Tracing Only | $204.10 | $314.00 | $5.46–$314.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa West Des Moines, IA HC Ecg 12 Lead Tracing Only | $314.00 | $314.00 | $5.46–$314.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $18.40, median $181.68, highest $314.00 — a 17.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $181.68 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 4 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
This code is the EKG recording itself, without the doctor's interpretation. It is the code hospitals use for their part of an EKG, while the doctor bills the reading separately (93010). Clinics bill the whole test under 93000.
What the price covers
The price covers recording the tracing. The doctor's interpretation is billed separately.