Financial Assistance for Healthcare Costs

Financial Assistance

At UnityPoint Health, we’re here for you every step of the way. Our health system provides patient care to a growing number of uninsured and underinsured patients. Patients are responsible for a greater burden of their healthcare costs through growing out-of-pocket deductibles many health insurance plans, including Medicare, have implemented. Many patients also lack the financial resources to secure health insurance.

UnityPoint Health has financial policies to seek fair and equitable payment from patients based on their ability to pay. We also assist patients who can’t reasonably pay for some, or all, of the care they receive.

Financial Counselors

We understand healthcare bills and insurance claims can be overwhelming and confusing. Uninsured or underinsured patients may consult with a patient financial counselor to discuss payment options regarding their healthcare costs.

Financial Counselor Availability by Location

Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP)

The purpose of SHIIP (Senior Health Insurance Information Program) is to provide free, unbiased counseling to Medicare beneficiaries and caregivers about Medicare, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D), Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C), Medicare supplement plans and other supplemental insurance, billing and claims issues, Medicare fraud and abuse.

This service is provided by trained volunteers whose goal is to serve Medicare beneficiaries by assisting them to make insurance decision-making easier, provide information to compare Medicare and insurance plans, assist with enrolling in Medicare prescription drug plans and assistance programs and understanding the bills they receive for their healthcare. Counselors provide one-to-one assistance in a confidential setting. These counselors are not affiliated with any insurance, financial planning or pharmaceutical industries. The volunteers are trained and ready to answer questions and provide impartial information to help seniors make well-informed decisions.

• I'm retiring. What kind of health insurance do I need?
• I can't make sense of my Medicare statements and medical bills. What do I do next?
• Do I need a Medicare supplement policy?
• How can I help my parents with health insurance?
• There's an error on my bill. What did I do?

• Going on Medicare
• Age 65 or older and on Medicare
• On Medicare because of a disability, end stage renal disease or Lou Gehrig's disease.

Medicare Part D Open Enrollment

Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment occurs yearly from October 15 – December 7. This is the annual period during which Medicare plan enrollees can reevaluate their coverage — whether it's original Medicare with drug coverage, or Medicare Advantage — and make changes if they’d like. Changes go into effect on January 1.