Returning patient visit, 20 min cost in Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for returning patient office visit, low complexity or 20+ minutes: from $140.00 to $160.80, with a median of $140.50. The lowest listed price is at Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa and 1 other hospital — $0.50 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $140.00 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 cities for code 99213, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Mar 31, 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa lowest West Des Moines, IA PR Visit Office Outpatient Established Low Level | $140.00 | $140.00 | $30.61–$140.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton lowest Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 PR Visit Office Outpatient Established Low Level | $140.00 | $140.00 | $30.61–$140.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 PR Visit Office Outpatient Established Low Level | $141.00 | $141.00 | $30.61–$141.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR OFFICE/OUTPATIENT ESTABLISHED LOW MDM 20 MIN | $160.80 | $201.00 | $60.36–$124.66 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR OFFICE/OUTPATIENT ESTABLISHED LOW MDM 20 MIN | $160.80 | $201.00 | $60.36–$124.66 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Visit Estab Low Pro 20-29 Mins (Restricted Method II CAH) | $4,372.00 | — | $53.61–$708.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $140.00, median $140.50, highest $160.80 — a 1.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $141.00. 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 0 of 4 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 an office or outpatient visit for a returning patient with low complexity decision making, or at least 20 minutes of total clinician time on the visit date. It is one of the most common visit codes, used for things like a stable chronic condition or an acute problem such as an infection.
What the price covers
The price covers the clinician's visit. Lab tests, X-rays, procedures and any hospital facility fee at a hospital-owned clinic are billed separately.