Pap smear (lab reading) cost in Iowa
In Iowa, 41 hospitals publish a cash price for Pap test lab reading: liquid-based cervical sample, manual screening: from $19.20 to $221.20, with a median of $64.70. The lowest price is at Jefferson County Hospital (Fairfield). The highest price is 11.5× the lowest.
- The median here, $64.70, is 9% below the US median of $70.94.
- That is 3.2× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($20.26).
- Iowa ranks 16th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
- 4 of 41 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 88142. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 5, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$19.20Jefferson County Hospital
Median$64.70half of hospitals charge less
Highest$221.20in Iowa
Lowest saves$45.50vs the median
Hospitals in Iowa, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County Hospital lowest Fairfield · Fairfield, IA Pap test, manual screening | $19.20 | $32.00 | Aug 20, 2026 source file |
| Alegent Health - Mercy Hospital, Corning Iowa Corning · Corning, IA HC RHC THIN PREP PAP | $21.15 | $47.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Alegent Health Community Memorial Hospital of Missouri Valley, Iowa Missouri Valley · Omaha, NE-IA HC RHC THIN PREP PAP | $23.50 | $47.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital Council Bluffs · Omaha, NE-IA CPT 88142 | $26.10 | $87.00 | Feb 15, 2026 source file |
| Boone County Hospital Boone · Ames, IA Pap test, manual screening | $28.00 | $35.00 | Jul 27, 2026 source file |
| Madison County Memorial Hospital Winterset · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Pap test, manual screening | $36.80 | $46.00 | Oct 21, 2026 source file |
| Van Buren County Hospital Keosauqua · Keosauqua, IA Pap test, manual screening | $42.00 | $60.00 | Jul 20, 2026 source file |
| Broadlawns Medical Center Des Moines · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Lab P3000/ 88142 Pap Smear | $54.00 | $54.00 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| St Luke's Methodist Hospital Cedar Rapids · Cedar Rapids, IA HC CP CERV/VAG ATL MANUAL SCRN | $55.00 | $68.75 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Jones Regional Medical Center Anamosa · Cedar Rapids, IA HC CP CERV/VAG ATL MANUAL SCRN | $55.00 | $68.75 | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Shenandoah Medical Center Shenandoah · Shenandoah, IA Pap test, manual screening | $55.25 | $85.00 | Sep 21, 2026 source file |
| St Anthony Regional Hospital and Nursing Home Carroll · Carroll, IA Pap test, manual screening | $61.00 | $61.00 | Nov 3, 2026 source file |
| Waverly Health Center Waverly · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA Pap test, manual screening | $63.44 | $122.00 | Oct 19, 2026 source file |
| Allen Hospital Waterloo · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA HC CP CERV/VAG ATL MANUAL SCRN | $64.70 | $80.87 | Nov 4, 2026 source file |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center Grinnell · Grinnell, IA HC CP CERV/VAG ATL MANUAL SCRN | $64.70 | $80.87 | Nov 4, 2026 source file |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center Sioux City · Sioux City, IA-NE-SD HC CP CERV/VAG ATL MANUAL SCRN | $64.70 | $80.87 | Nov 4, 2026 source file |
| The Finley Hospital Dubuque · Dubuque, IA HC CP CERV/VAG ATL MANUAL SCRN | $64.70 | $80.87 | Nov 4, 2026 source file |
| Trinity - Bettendorf Bettendorf · Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL HC CP CERV/VAG ATL MANUAL SCRN | $64.70 | $80.87 | Nov 4, 2026 source file |
| Trinity Regional Medical Center Fort Dodge · Fort Dodge, IA HC CP CERV/VAG ATL MANUAL SCRN | $64.70 | $80.87 | Nov 4, 2026 source file |
| Unity Healthcare Muscatine · Muscatine, IA HC CP CERV/VAG ATL MANUAL SCRN | $64.70 | $80.87 | Nov 4, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HC CP CERV/VAG ATL MANUAL SCRN | $64.70 | $80.87 | Nov 4, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health Marshalltown Marshalltown · Marshalltown, IA HC CP CERV/VAG ATL MANUAL SCRN | $64.70 | $80.87 | Nov 4, 2026 source file |
| Veterans Memorial Hospital City of Waukon Ia Waukon · Waukon, IA Pap test, manual screening | $64.98 | $114.00 | Oct 8, 2026 source file |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs Council Bluffs · Omaha, NE-IA HC THIN PREP PAP | $69.66 | $162.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - New Hampton New Hampton · New Hampton, IA HC Cytopathology Cervical/Vaginal Thin Layer Manual Screening | $70.85 | $109.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton · Clinton, IA HC Cytopathology Cervical/Vaginal Thin Layer Manual Screening | $70.85 | $109.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader · Elkader, IA HC Cytopathology Cervical/Vaginal Thin Layer Manual Screening | $70.85 | $109.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Cass County Memorial Hospital Atlantic · Atlantic, IA Pap test, manual screening | $78.40 | $112.00 | Jun 1, 2026 source file |
| Loring Hospital Sac City · Sac City, IA HC ATL SCRN CYTOPATH W RVW BY TECHN | $78.40 | $98.00 | Aug 25, 2026 source file |
| WinnMed Decorah · Decorah, IA Pap test, manual screening | $82.60 | $118.00 | Oct 13, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque · Dubuque, IA HC Cytopathology Cervical/Vaginal Thin Layer Manual Screening | $83.85 | $129.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Clarinda Regional Health Center Clarinda · Clarinda, IA Pap test, manual screening | $85.50 | $114.00 | Oct 23, 2026 source file |
| Decatur County Hospital Leon · Leon, IA Pap test, manual screening | $91.20 | $114.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Wayne County Hospital Corydon · Corydon, IA Pap test, manual screening | $92.00 | $92.00 | Jun 10, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville · Centerville, IA HC Cytopathology Cervical/Vaginal Thin Layer Manual Screening | $109.00 | $109.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo · Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA HC Cytopathology Cervical/Vaginal Thin Layer Manual Screening | $120.25 | $185.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HC Cytopathology Cervical/Vaginal Thin Layer Manual Screening | $131.95 | $203.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital and Clinic West Union · West Union, IA CYTOPATHOLOGY, CERVICAL/VAGINAL, LIQUID BASED PREP; MANUAL SCREE | $137.81 | $232.00 | Jun 27, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City · Mason City, IA HC Cytopathology Cervical/Vaginal Thin Layer Manual Screening | $182.65 | $281.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down Iowa City · Iowa City, IA HB CERVICAL/VAGINAL CYTOLOGY-THIN LAYER PREP, DX | $221.20 | $316.00 | Mar 11, 2026 source file |
| University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics Iowa City · Iowa City, IA HB CERVICAL/VAGINAL CYTOLOGY-THIN LAYER PREP, DX | $221.20 | $316.00 | Mar 11, 2026 source file |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
File date When the hospital last updated its price file, as the file says itself. A dash means the file gives no date.
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
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 | $36.80 | $59.35 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 3 | $23.50 | $26.10 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 3 | $63.44 | $64.70 |
| Dubuque, IA | 2 | $64.70 | $74.28 |
| Iowa City, IA | 2 | $221.20 | $221.20 |
| Atlantic, IA | 1 | $78.40 | $78.40 |
| Ames, IA | 1 | $28.00 | $28.00 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 1 | $55.00 | $55.00 |
| Centerville, IA | 1 | $109.00 | $109.00 |
| Clarinda, IA | 1 | $85.50 | $85.50 |
| Corning, IA | 1 | $21.15 | $21.15 |
| Corydon, IA | 1 | $92.00 | $92.00 |
| Carroll, IA | 1 | $61.00 | $61.00 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 1 | $55.00 | $55.00 |
| Clinton, IA | 1 | $70.85 | $70.85 |
| Decorah, IA | 1 | $82.60 | $82.60 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 1 | $64.70 | $64.70 |
| Elkader, IA | 1 | $70.85 | $70.85 |
| Fairfield, IA | 1 | $19.20 | $19.20 |
| Fort Dodge, IA | 1 | $64.70 | $64.70 |
| Grinnell, IA | 1 | $64.70 | $64.70 |
| Keosauqua, IA | 1 | $42.00 | $42.00 |
| Leon, IA | 1 | $91.20 | $91.20 |
| Marshalltown, IA | 1 | $64.70 | $64.70 |
| Mason City, IA | 1 | $182.65 | $182.65 |
| Muscatine, IA | 1 | $64.70 | $64.70 |
| New Hampton, IA | 1 | $70.85 | $70.85 |
| Sac City, IA | 1 | $78.40 | $78.40 |
| Shenandoah, IA | 1 | $55.25 | $55.25 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 1 | $64.70 | $64.70 |
| Waukon, IA | 1 | $64.98 | $64.98 |
| West Union, IA | 1 | $137.81 | $137.81 |
Market A metro area (as the Census Bureau defines it) or, outside metro areas, a town. Each links to every hospital price there.
Hospitals How many hospitals publish a cash price for this code here. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price.
Lowest The lowest cash price among those hospitals.
Median The middle cash price: half of the hospitals charge less, half charge more. One price per hospital. More
What Pap smear (lab reading) is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Pap smear (lab reading) explained.
Pap test lab reading: liquid-based cervical sample, manual screening in other states
- Alabama$41.23
- Alaska$95.94
- Arizona$26.87
- Arkansas$48.50
- California$91.00
- Colorado$152.85
- Connecticut$100.10
- Delaware$124.10
- District of Columbia$156.53, 3 hospitals
- Florida$53.11
- Georgia$51.00
- Hawaii$78.75
- Idaho$90.25
- Illinois$112.50
- Indiana$69.76
- Kansas$87.35
- Kentucky$60.60
- Louisiana$29.76
- Maine$74.40
- Maryland$107.79
- Massachusetts$91.93
- Michigan$77.79
- Minnesota$77.45
- Mississippi$29.89
- Missouri$73.08
- Montana$62.18
- Nebraska$65.33
- Nevada$21.25
- New Hampshire$107.33
- New Jersey$23.30
- New Mexico$74.35
- New York$70.20
- North Carolina$62.50
- North Dakota$102.80
- Ohio$91.00
- Oklahoma$70.20
- Oregon$80.00
- Pennsylvania$61.20
- Puerto Rico$595.00, 1 hospital
- Rhode Island$120.00
- South Carolina$120.75
- South Dakota$69.60
- Tennessee$35.40
- Texas$87.45
- Utah$134.15
- Vermont$134.00
- Virginia$67.78
- Washington$83.20
- West Virginia$50.00
- Wisconsin$90.00
- Wyoming$70.09
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.