Level 5 ER visit cost in Des Moines, IA — inpatient
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for emergency room visit, level 5 of 5, high-complexity problem as an inpatient: from $319.20 to $958.75, with a median of $412.00. The lowest listed price is at UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical — $92.80 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $367.00 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 cities for code 99285, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISIT HIGH MDM | $319.20 | $399.00 | $159.07–$386.61 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISIT HIGH MDM | $319.20 | $399.00 | $159.07–$386.61 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 PR Emergency Dept Visit High | $412.00 | $412.00 | $109.27–$412.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa West Des Moines, IA PR Emergency Dept Visit High | $412.00 | $412.00 | $109.27–$412.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Full Trauma W/O Pre Notification Level 5 | $958.75 | $1,475.00 | $343.41–$1,475.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC ED Type a Level 5 | $958.75 | $1,475.00 | $343.41–$1,475.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Partial Trauma W/O Pre Notification Level 5 | $958.75 | $1,475.00 | $343.41–$1,475.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC ED Type a Level 5 Sane_Safe | $958.75 | $1,475.00 | $343.41–$1,475.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Critical Care 30-74 Minutes - Downgrade | $1,240.20 | $1,908.00 | $343.41–$1,908.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC ED Type a Level 5 OB Triage | $2,730.65 | $4,201.00 | $562.11–$4,201.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC ED Type a Level 5 | $2,730.65 | $4,201.00 | $562.11–$4,201.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC ED Type a Level 5 Sane_Safe | $2,730.65 | $4,201.00 | $562.11–$4,201.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC ED LEVEL 5 VISIT | $2,811.57 | $3,514.46 | $1,521.76 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC ED LEVEL 5 VISIT | $2,811.57 | $3,514.46 | $1,521.76 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Critical Care 30-74 Minutes - Downgrade | $3,294.20 | $5,068.00 | $562.11–$5,068.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Trauma Evaluation W/O Pre Notification Level 5 | $3,463.20 | $5,328.00 | $562.11–$5,328.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Trauma Evaluation W/O Pre Notification Critical Care - Downgrade | $4,026.75 | $6,195.00 | $562.11–$6,195.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa West Des Moines, IA HC ED Type a Level 5 | $4,456.00 | $4,456.00 | $562.11–$4,456.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa West Des Moines, IA HC ED Type a Level 5 Sane_Safe | $4,456.00 | $4,456.00 | $562.11–$4,456.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Partial Trauma W/O Pre Notification Level 5 | $5,073.90 | $7,806.00 | $562.11–$7,806.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa West Des Moines, IA HC Critical Care 30-74 Minutes - Downgrade | $5,117.00 | $5,117.00 | $562.11–$5,117.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Partial Trauma W/O Pre Notification Critical Care - Downgrade | $5,637.45 | $8,673.00 | $562.11–$8,673.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Full Trauma W/O Pre Notification Level 5 | $5,659.55 | $8,707.00 | $562.11–$8,707.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Full Trauma W/O Pre Notification Critical Care - Downgrade | $6,254.30 | $9,622.00 | $562.11–$9,622.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $319.20, median $412.00, highest $958.75 — a 3.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $367.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 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 the highest of five emergency department visit levels, used for a serious problem that needs complex evaluation and treatment, often with a hospital admission or transfer. The level is assigned after the visit: doctors pick it by the complexity of their medical decision making, and hospitals pick the facility level by the care and resources used, so a patient cannot choose it in advance.
What the price covers
The hospital price for this code is the facility fee for the ER visit. The emergency physician bills separately, and lab tests, imaging, medicines and procedures are added on top.
2 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 99285 ($1,499.40). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IAHC ED LEVEL 5 INIT ASSESS | $44.00 | file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IAHC ED LEVEL 5 INIT ASSESS | $44.00 | file |