Shoulder MRI cost in Iowa
In Iowa, 32 hospitals publish a cash price for MRI of the shoulder, elbow or wrist joint, no contrast dye: from $552.80 to $5,226.00, with a median of $1,467.07. The lowest price is at Allen Hospital (Waterloo) and 10 other hospitals. The highest price is 9.5× the lowest.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 73221. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Sep 23, 2026.
Lowest$552.80Allen Hospital + 10 more
Median$1,467.07half pay less
Highest$5,226.00in Iowa
Lowest saves$914.27vs the median
Hospitals in Iowa, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allen Hospital lowest Waterloo · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA PR MRI, JOINT UPPER EXTREM | $552.80 | $691.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center lowest Grinnell · Grinnell, IA PR MRI, JOINT UPPER EXTREM | $552.80 | $691.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| St Luke's Methodist Hospital lowest Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids, IA PR MRI, JOINT UPPER EXTREM | $552.80 | $691.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| St Luke'sJones Regional Medical Center lowest Anamosa · Cedar Rapids, IA PR MRI, JOINT UPPER EXTREM | $552.80 | $691.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center lowest Sioux City · Sioux City, IA-NE-SD PR MRI, JOINT UPPER EXTREM | $552.80 | $691.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| The Finley Hospital lowest Dubuque · Dubuque, IA PR MRI, JOINT UPPER EXTREM | $552.80 | $691.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Trinity Medical Center lowest Bettendorf · Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL PR MRI, JOINT UPPER EXTREM | $552.80 | $691.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Trinity Regional Medical Center lowest Fort Dodge · Fort Dodge, IA PR MRI, JOINT UPPER EXTREM | $552.80 | $691.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Unity Healthcare lowest Muscatine · Muscatine, IA PR MRI, JOINT UPPER EXTREM | $552.80 | $691.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical lowest Des Moines · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA PR MRI, JOINT UPPER EXTREM | $552.80 | $691.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health Marshalltown lowest Marshalltown · Marshalltown, IA PR MRI, JOINT UPPER EXTREM | $552.80 | $691.00 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center one side Mason City · Mason City, IA HC MRI Upper Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Rt | $1,033.50 | $1,590.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs Council Bluffs · Omaha, NE-IA HC MR JOINT UP EXT WO CONTRAST | $1,173.48 | $2,794.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport · Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MR Sternoclavicular Joint- R | $1,338.60 | $2,231.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Storm Lake · Storm Lake, IA HC MRI UP EXTR ANY JOINT WO CONTRAST | $1,403.20 | $1,754.00 | — source file |
| MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center Davenport · Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MR Sternoclavicular Joint- R | $1,461.60 | $2,436.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinic West Union · West Union, IA HCHG 73221 MRI-UP EXTRM-JOINT W/O CONTRAS | $1,472.53 | $2,479.00 | Jun 27, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Clinton Medical Center one side Clinton · Clinton, IA HC MRI Upper Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Lt | $1,491.10 | $2,294.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Alegent Health - Mercy Hospital, Corning Iowa Corning · Corning, IA HC MR JOINT UP EXT WO CONTRAST | $1,667.04 | $3,473.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Alegent Health Community Memorial Hospital of Missouri Valley, Iowa Missouri Valley · Omaha, NE-IA HC MR JOINT UP EXT WO CONTRAST | $1,701.77 | $3,473.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Winneshiek Medical Center Decorah · Decorah, IA MRI scan of arm joint without contrast | $1,831.90 | $2,617.00 | Jul 17, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center one side Des Moines · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HC MRI Upper Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Rt | $2,481.70 | $3,818.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Central Community Hospital one side Elkader · Elkader, IA HC MRI Upper Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Rt | $2,572.05 | $3,957.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - New Hampton one side New Hampton · New Hampton, IA HC MRI Upper Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Lt | $2,572.05 | $3,957.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton one side Newton · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HC MRI Upper Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Rt | $2,572.05 | $3,957.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center one side Oelwein · Oelwein, IA HC MRI Upper Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Rt | $2,572.05 | $3,957.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Sanford Sheldon Medical Center Sheldon · Sheldon, IA MRI UPPER EXT JT WO CONTRAST | $2,874.40 | $3,593.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Dubuque one side Dubuque · Dubuque, IA HC MRI Upper Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Lt | $3,011.45 | $4,633.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center one side Waterloo · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA HC MRI Upper Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Lt | $3,125.20 | $4,808.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Sartori Memorial Hospital one side Cedar Falls · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA HC MRI Upper Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Lt | $3,125.20 | $4,808.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital, Centerville one side Centerville · Centerville, IA HC MRI Upper Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Rt | $3,957.00 | $3,957.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa one side West Des Moines · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HC MRI Upper Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Lt | $5,226.00 | $5,226.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 4 | $552.80 | $2,526.88 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 3 | $552.80 | $1,338.60 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 3 | $552.80 | $3,125.20 |
| Dubuque, IA | 2 | $552.80 | $1,782.12 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 2 | $1,173.48 | $1,437.62 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 1 | $552.80 | $552.80 |
| Centerville, IA | 1 | $3,957.00 | $3,957.00 |
| Corning, IA | 1 | $1,667.04 | $1,667.04 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 1 | $552.80 | $552.80 |
| Clinton, IA | 1 | $1,491.10 | $1,491.10 |
| Decorah, IA | 1 | $1,831.90 | $1,831.90 |
| Elkader, IA | 1 | $2,572.05 | $2,572.05 |
| Fort Dodge, IA | 1 | $552.80 | $552.80 |
| Grinnell, IA | 1 | $552.80 | $552.80 |
| Marshalltown, IA | 1 | $552.80 | $552.80 |
| Mason City, IA | 1 | $1,033.50 | $1,033.50 |
| Muscatine, IA | 1 | $552.80 | $552.80 |
| New Hampton, IA | 1 | $2,572.05 | $2,572.05 |
| Oelwein, IA | 1 | $2,572.05 | $2,572.05 |
| Sheldon, IA | 1 | $2,874.40 | $2,874.40 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 1 | $552.80 | $552.80 |
| Storm Lake, IA | 1 | $1,403.20 | $1,403.20 |
| West Union, IA | 1 | $1,472.53 | $1,472.53 |
What it is
An MRI of an upper-limb joint makes detailed pictures of one joint, most often the shoulder, though the code also covers the elbow and wrist. It shows tendons, ligaments, cartilage and the labrum, such as a rotator cuff tear that does not show on X-rays. No contrast dye is used.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the scan of one joint. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.
MRI of the shoulder, elbow or wrist joint, no contrast dye in other states
- Alabama$6,011.00
- Alaska$2,939.79
- Arizona$4,913.00
- Arkansas$959.11
- California$2,444.00
- Colorado$1,013.73
- Connecticut$1,843.33
- Delaware$2,258.75
- Florida$2,219.97
- Georgia$1,635.54
- Hawaii$1,797.90
- Idaho$1,857.00
- Illinois$2,100.03
- Indiana$1,311.09
- Kansas$1,274.40
- Kentucky$3,225.02
- Louisiana$694.56
- Maine$1,656.60
- Maryland$524.86
- Massachusetts$1,984.95
- Michigan$1,597.88
- Minnesota$2,018.46
- Mississippi$1,024.80
- Missouri$1,935.50
- Montana$1,794.00
- Nebraska$1,681.88
- Nevada$259.00
- New Hampshire$1,763.42
- New Jersey$322.54
- New Mexico$910.98
- New York$934.53
- North Carolina$1,938.28
- North Dakota$1,923.60
- Ohio$1,264.25
- Oklahoma$1,795.30
- Oregon$1,569.33
- Pennsylvania$2,143.05
- Puerto Rico$750.00
- Rhode Island$1,258.00
- South Carolina$2,302.20
- South Dakota$3,088.80
- Tennessee$786.24
- Texas$1,788.37
- Utah$1,837.71
- Vermont$2,952.33
- Virginia$1,932.50
- Washington$1,756.30
- West Virginia$1,376.00
- Wisconsin$1,570.64
- Wyoming$1,750.45
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.