Carotid ultrasound cost in Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for carotid artery ultrasound (duplex), both sides of the neck (both sides): from $427.20 to $1,595.00, with a median of $488.94. The lowest listed price is at UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi — $61.74 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $606.60 at 8 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 cities for code 93880, 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 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 Medi both sides lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR DUPLEX SCAN EXTRACRANIAL,BILAT | $427.20 | $534.00 | $166.90–$534.77 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi both sides lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR DUPLEX SCAN EXTRACRANIAL,BILAT | $427.20 | $534.00 | $166.90–$534.77 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton both sides Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 PR Duplex Scan of Extracranial Arteries Complete Bilateral Study | $488.94 | — | $23.86–$488.94 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center both sides Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 PR Duplex Scan of Extracranial Arteries Complete Bilateral Study | $488.94 | — | $23.86–$490.46 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton both sides Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Scan Duplex Extracranial Arteries Complete Bilateral | $719.55 | $1,107.00 | $225.85–$1,107.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi both sides Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC CAROTID DUPLEX SCAN; BILAT | $986.07 | $1,232.58 | $232.88–$620.77 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi both sides Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC CAROTID DUPLEX SCAN; BILAT | $986.07 | $1,232.58 | $230.12–$588.24 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center both sides Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Scan Duplex Extracranial Arteries Complete Bilateral | $1,036.75 | $1,595.00 | $225.21–$1,595.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa both sides West Des Moines, IA HC Scan Duplex Extracranial Arteries Complete Bilateral | $1,595.00 | $1,595.00 | $225.21–$1,595.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center both sides Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Scan Duplex Extracranial Arteries Complete Bilateral | $1,782.00 | — | $88.83–$463.22 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Both sides : lowest $427.20, median $488.94, highest $1,595.00 — a 3.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $565.00. 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 2 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
A carotid ultrasound uses sound waves and Doppler to look at the arteries in the neck that carry blood to the brain. It checks for narrowing or plaque and is ordered after a stroke or mini-stroke, for a bruit heard in the neck, or to follow known artery disease.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the complete study of both sides. The interpretation by a radiologist or vascular specialist is often billed separately.