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PricedCare

Shoulder arthroscopy with decompression in Des Moines, IA costs $370 to $26,195. Here's every hospital's price.

4 hospitals in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area publish a cash price for shoulder arthroscopy with decompression (CPT 29826). We read their files every month so you don't have to.

Across the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, 4 hospitals list a cash price for shoulder arthroscopy with decompression (CPT 29826). The lowest is $370 at Mercyone Newton Medical Center, the median is $501 and the highest is $26,195 at Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center. The most expensive hospital lists 71 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Des Moines, IA median of $501 is 82% below the national median of $2,859 across 434 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

4 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $2 to $14,087. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which is sometimes higher than the cash price; you may ask for the cash price instead.

The files behind these prices are dated between January 2026 and September 2026. 3 other hospitals in the metro area have no readable price for this code: some publish no file, some block automated reading, some leave the code out. They are listed below so you can call them.

$370
lowest cash price in Des Moines, IA
Mercyone Newton Medical Center · 38 mi
$131 below the median
$501
median cash price
4 hospitals
71×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
4/7
hospitals with a cash price
3 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Mercyone Newton Medical Center

Newton · 38 mi · File Mar 2026

$370
list $370 · lowest of 3 lines
2
Broadlawns Medical Center

Des Moines · 7 mi · File Sep 2026

$501
list $501 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi

Des Moines · 7 mi · File Jan 2026

$530
list $663 · lowest of 8 lines
4
Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center

Des Moines · 7 mi · File Mar 2026

$26,195
1

What's in the price

The hospital facility fee for CPT 29826. The doctor, anesthesia and lab work usually bill separately.

2

Cash vs. insured

Cash is what you pay without insurance. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which can be higher than cash. You may ask for the cash price.

3

What to say on the phone

"I'd like the self-pay price for CPT 29826, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."

About shoulder arthroscopy with decompression

CPT 29826 is a keyhole shoulder operation in which the surgeon shaves bone and tissue under the acromion to relieve impingement. It is nearly always done together with other shoulder work, such as a rotator cuff repair (29827), and is technically an add-on code, so a hospital's price for 29826 alone rarely reflects the whole operation.

What the price covers

The hospital's facility fee for the operating room, arthroscopy equipment, nursing, supplies and recovery, for this component. The surgeon, anesthesia provider and any implants used in a combined repair bill separately. Expect the total for a shoulder arthroscopy visit to be considerably more than this single code.

Why prices vary

Orthopedic surgery has some of the widest price spreads in hospital files. Ambulatory surgery centers, often physician-owned, are usually much cheaper than hospital outpatient departments for the same arthroscopy. Within hospitals, large systems list the highest charges.

Questions to ask

  • Which codes will be billed for my operation, and what is the self-pay price for all of them together?
  • What do the surgeon and anesthesia charge?
  • Could the same surgeon do it at an ambulatory surgery center?

Hospitals in Des Moines, IA without a price for this procedure

Listed so you know who to call. The reason is what we found on their website.

Questions people ask