The Des Moines University Clinic accepts payment by most private insurers and participates in many preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and health maintenance organizations (HMOs). Medicare and Medicaid also are accepted. The clinic also accepts payments in the form of cash, check and most major credit cards.
The clinic will file your charges for medical services with your insurance company. Please bring your insurance card to each office visit. Full payment for all services is expected at the time of service unless specific payment arrangements are established, such as proof of current insurance coverage or a formal payment plan.
You are ultimately responsible for payment for any service you receive, even if you have insurance coverage.
At the time of service, you are required to pay any portion of the bill for which you are responsible, such as co-payments, co-insurances, deductibles and/or payment for services that your health benefits do not cover.
If you have any questions related to your bill or need to arrange a payment plan, please call 515-271-1050. If you are hearing impaired, please call TDD 515-271-1711.
Find specific information about the following areas below:
Financial Assistance
Des Moines University Clinic is a nonprofit health organization with a commitment to assist those who seek our care, regardless of their ability to pay.
If you are unable to pay for all or part of the care you receive from our clinics, you may be eligible for free or discounted services.
Patients applying for financial assistance must exhaust all options available to them for insurance coverage including, but not limited to, applying for Medicaid coverage prior to receiving financial assistance.
If you participate in any of the following programs we will not need to see your tax information or pay stub, but will need proof that you are currently enrolled and our presumptive eligibility form completed.
- Food Stamp Program
- Family Investment Program
- County Relief Programs
- Medically Needy Program
- UnityPoint – Des Moines Financial Assistance
- Iowa Family Planning Network
- Mercy – Des Moines Financial Assistance
- Mothers and Children Program (MAC)
Financial Assistance will only be applied to those family members/individuals listed on the proof of participation of one of the programs listed above.
If you are not currently enrolled in any of the programs listed above please complete our Financial Assistance Application and be sure to include all documents listed as required for processing with your completed application.
Eligibility for financial assistance can be applied up to one year and shall be in effect from the date of service to which a financial assistance discount is initially applied.
Your Rights and Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills
When you get emergency care or get treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you are protected from surprise billing or balance billing.
What is “balance billing” (sometimes called “surprise billing”)?
When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs, such as a copayment, coinsurance, and/or a deductible. You may have other costs or have to pay the entire bill if you see a provider or visit a health care facility that isn’t in your health plan’s network.
“Out-of-network” describes providers and facilities that haven’t signed a contract with your health plan. Out-of-network providers may be permitted to bill you for the difference between what your plan agreed to pay and the full amount charged for a service. This is called “balance billing.” This amount is likely more than in-network costs for the same service and might not count toward your annual out-of-pocket limit.
“Surprise billing” is an unexpected balance bill. This can happen when you can’t control who is involved in your care—like when you have an emergency or when you schedule a visit at an in-network facility but are unexpectedly treated by an out-of-network provider.
You are protected from balance billing for:
- Emergency services
If you have an emergency medical condition and get emergency services from an out-of-network provider or facility, the most the provider or facility may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount (such as copayments and coinsurance). You can’t be balance billed for these emergency services. This includes services you may get after you’re in stable condition, unless you give written consent and give up your protections not to be balanced billed for these post-stabilization services. - Certain services at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center
When you get services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, certain providers there may be out-of-network. In these cases, the most those providers may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount. This applies to emergency medicine, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or intensivist services. These providers can’t balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your protections not to be balance billed.If you get other services at these in-network facilities, out-of-network providers can’t balance bill you, unless you give written consent and give up your protections.
You’re never required to give up your protections from balance billing. You also aren’t required to get care out-of-network. You can choose a provider or facility in your plan’s network.
When balance billing isn’t allowed, you also have the following protections:
- You are only responsible for paying your share of the cost (like the copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles that you would pay if the provider or facility was in-network). Your health plan will pay out-of-network providers and facilities directly.
- Your health plan generally must:
- Cover emergency services without requiring you to get approval for services in advance (prior authorization).
- Cover emergency services by out-of-network providers.
- Base what you owe the provider or facility (cost-sharing) on what it would pay an in‑network provider or facility and show that amount in your explanation of benefits.
- Count any amount you pay for emergency services or out-of-network services toward your deductible and out-of-pocket limit.
If you believe you’ve been wrongly billed, you may contact the billing department at Des Moines University Clinic at 515-271-1050.
You may file a complaint with the federal government at https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers or by calling 1-800-985-3059. You may also file a complaint with the Iowa Insurance Division at https://iid.iowa.gov/insurance-consumer-complaint.
Visit https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers for more information about your rights under federal law.