New patient visit, 60 min cost in Ames, IA
In Ames, IA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for new patient office visit, about 60 minutes: from $70.40 to $393.60, with a median of $232.00. The lowest listed price is at Story County Hospital — $161.60 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $317.20 at 48 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 99205, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jul 27, 2026 and Jul 27, 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 Ames, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Story County Hospital lowest Nevada, IA · (515) 382-2111 HC O/P VISIT NEW LEVEL 5 | $70.40 | $88.00 | $53.00–$88.00 | 20% | — source file |
| Story County Hospital Nevada, IA · (515) 382-2111 PR OFFICE/OUTPATIENT NEW HIGH MDM 60 MINUTES | $313.60 | $392.00 | $239.00–$392.00 | 20% | — source file |
| Boone County Hospital Boone, IA · (515) 432-3140 New patient office or other outpatient visit with a high level of medical decision making, if using time, 60 minutes or more | $393.60 | $492.00 | $150.40–$506.76 | 20% | Jul 27, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $70.40, median $232.00, highest $393.60 — a 5.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $70.40. 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 2 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 is the highest-level office or outpatient visit for a new patient, with high complexity decision making or at least 60 minutes of total time on the visit date. It is used for serious or complicated problems.
What the price covers
The price covers the clinician's visit. Tests, procedures and any hospital facility fee are billed separately; very long visits can add a prolonged-service code.