Critical care (first hour) cost in Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for critical care, first 30 to 74 minutes: from $450.00 to $504.00, with a median of $450.00. The lowest listed price is at Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa and 2 other hospitals. Across Iowa, the median is $504.00 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 cities for code 99291, 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 Critical Care 30-74 Minutes | $450.00 | $450.00 | $126.95–$450.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton lowest Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 PR Critical Care 30-74 Minutes | $450.00 | $450.00 | $126.95–$450.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 PR Critical Care 30-74 Minutes | $450.00 | $450.00 | $126.95–$450.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR CRITICAL CARE, E/M 30-74 MINUTES | $504.00 | $630.00 | $194.00–$496.21 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 PR CRITICAL CARE, E/M 30-74 MINUTES | $504.00 | $630.00 | $194.00–$496.21 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Critical Care 30-74 Minutes | $1,240.20 | $1,908.00 | $781.89–$1,908.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Critical Care 30-74 Minutes | $3,294.20 | $5,068.00 | $779.68–$5,068.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC CRITICAL CARE 30-74 MIN | $3,794.75 | $4,743.43 | $811.82–$2,163.96 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC CRITICAL CARE 30-74 MIN | $3,794.75 | $4,743.43 | $802.17–$2,053.91 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Trauma Evaluation W/O Pre Notification Critical Care | $4,026.75 | $6,195.00 | $779.68–$6,195.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa West Des Moines, IA HC Critical Care 30-74 Minutes | $5,117.00 | $5,117.00 | $779.68–$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 | $5,637.45 | $8,673.00 | $779.68–$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 Critical Care | $6,254.30 | $9,622.00 | $779.68–$9,622.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $450.00, median $450.00, highest $504.00 — a 1.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $529.00. 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 code bills care for a life-threatening illness or injury for the first 30 to 74 minutes. It appears on emergency department bills after serious cases and in intensive care.
What the price covers
The price is the hospital's charge. Additional half hours use 99292, and the doctor bills separately.