Helpful Documents

Helpful Documents

 

Understanding Hospital "Charges"

Iowa Hospital Charges Compare allows health care consumers to access basic information about services and charges at Iowa hospitals. Information provided on the Web site is based on hospital "charges."

A hospital "charge" is not the same as "expected payment." "Charge" is the amount billed for a service. In the vast majority of cases, hospitals are paid considerably less than the billed amount. Because each person's case is different based on that patient's medical condition, a given patient's charge will not necessarily be the same as the average or median charge. Furthermore, the actual amount paid by a patient will depend on that patient's insurance coverage.

Iowa Hospital Charges Compare should be considered a starting point for comparing costs of care between Iowa hospitals. Patients should contact individual hospitals to get further details about the possible cost of their care. Patients should also talk with their insurance provider to understand which costs will be covered, and which will be the patient's responsibility.

Visit IowaHospitalCharges.com for more information.

Planning Upcoming Medical Expenses

Are you trying to plan the expense of an upcoming medical visit? While our Understanding Your Health Care Costs page is a good place to start, the best way to plan is to talk with us directly. We can go over your questions, talk with your provider, research what your insurance will cover, and then give you a more accurate estimate. Please call our Patient Financial Advisor at 712-250-8041.