Price Transparency - Patient Charges and Costs

Grundy County Memorial Hospital-UnityPoint Health is working to improve customer awareness of health care costs.  Our goal is to offer price transparency by providing estimates that include out-of-pocket cost information in advance of your care. 

Click here for information about your rights and protection against surprise medical bills. 

To receive a cost estimate:
 Grundy County Memorial Hospital specialists are available to provide out-of-pocket cost estimates based on your planned health care services and normal reimbursement from your insurance carrier/plan. To take advantage of this service, you are encouraged to contact the hospital for a cost estimate of your scheduled service: 
GCMH health care cost information:   Call 319-824-5081 or
1-888-824-5081         
Many insurance companies also offer individualized estimates of your out-of-pocket cost estimates based on your planned services and normal reimbursement from your insurance carrier/plan.

Information for those who are uninsured or underinsured:
If you are not covered by a health insurance or government sponsored health insurance plan, please contact the GCMH financial advocate. They may help you determine whether you qualify for any adjustments associated with your health care service. Call 319-824-4137 to speak with the hospital's financial advocate.

Standard Current Charges - New
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) "Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule" states that hospitals must make available a list of their current standard charges, including every item and service provided by the hospital, as of 1/1/2019. The list must include the charge for each item and service as represented in the hospital's "charge master," with a description for the item or service associated with each charge. An individual hospital's charges vary based on the hospital's unique range of services, use of new medical technologies, government funding level, patient demographics, and other local and regional factors.

PLEASE NOTE: This list of standard charges required by the federal government does not provide information on what your final cost will be.The charges shown do not represent payments or any specific/individual patient responsibility. Your financial responsibility will vary depending on your health insurance plan. Also, fees for doctor services or anesthesia administration are not reflected in this hospital fee list and will be billed separately by your doctor.

There is a difference between charges and costs. Charges are the full retail price for hospital or hospital outpatient services. The cost is a lower rate that may be negotiated with insurance companies or Medicare, or with patients, for instance, "self-pay discounts". The final patient cost, or out-of-pocket responsibility, is the individual patient's financial responsibility (your cost for services based on your insurance benefit coverage and the discounted price).

Click here for Grundy County Memorial Hospital's machine readable standard charge information. 

Click here for Grundy County Memorial Hospital's charge master

Click here for UnityPoint price estimates for shoppable services. 

State Hospital Charge Comparisons 

You may also access comparative hospital average charge information at state hospital association websites.  Iowa Hospital Charges Compare (Iowa Hospital Association):

http://www.iowahospitalcharges.com/

Frequently Asked Questions: FAQs

1. Why Do Hospital Charges and Costs Vary?

A.  Every patient's case is unique and requires different levels of care. Hospitals are prepared with doctors, nurses and high-tech equipment around the clock for illness or injury – from a twisted ankle to a major accident to a natural disaster.

  • The price a patient sees on the hospital bill reflects the many professionals who care for them and keep the hospital operating, not just the services provided, such as:
    • Nurses and caregivers at the bedside
    • Pharmacists, lab technicians, food service staff, environmental service professionals and information technology personnel who, among many others, keep the hospital running 24/7
    • Specialty care providers
  • Hospital costs have many factors, such as staffing, equipment, maintenance costs and the differences in care needed by each patient. Key components of hospital costs that vary by region, community and individual hospital include:
    • Services provided for the patient's unique care needs
    • 24/7/365 readiness to meet the community's health care needs
    • Charity care for people unable to pay
    • Medicare and Medicaid payments

2. How can I learn what my costs will be?

A. Contacting Grundy County Memorial Hospital for an advance out-of-pocket estimate is a convenient way to determine what your financial responsibility will be for a specific health care service that you have scheduled.  You may also contact your health insurance company directly, at a "customer service" or other non-emergency number listed on your insurance membership card. They may provide you with an individualized estimate out-of-pocket costs. Contact GCMH at 319-824-5081 or 1-888-824-5081 to speak to a representative who can collect the information needed from you to provide you with an advanced cost estimate of your health care service.