Des Moines, IA Market Overview

HealthLeaders Interstudy, June 2011

Des Moines is a highly consolidated market, with locally-based insurer Wellmark BlueCross BlueShield as the top MCO in the market and Iowa. The top two health systems, Iowa Health-Des Moines and Mercy Health, account for the vast majority of inpatient discharges and have nearly equal market shares. Traditionally a low reimbursed state for Medicare, Iowa should see a noteworthy change as federal healthcare reform addresses the geographical disparities in Medicare and works to even out payments received by providers. High healthcare costs have employers in the Hawkeye state looking for new ways to curb spending, which includes consumer driven health plans and shifting the cost of benefits onto employees.

Questions answered in this report:

The consolidated health system market of Des Moines is looking for new ways to expand both in physical locations and in healthcare technology. What market share do the top two health systems in Des Moines hold? Where medical facilities are health systems building in the Des Moines market? What top health system received federal funding to spur a telehealth initiative in rural Iowa?

Iowa’s physicians have received some financial relief due to about $12 million in federal funds released specifically to aid hospitals and physicians affected by the geographic disparities in Medicare reimbursements. What did elected officials from Iowa do to improve Medicare reimbursements? Is there a shortage of physicians in this market? What legislation concerning nurse practitioners could potentially be a threat to physicians in the state?

Public workers in Iowa will likely see their cost-share for medical benefits rise as the state faces a tightening budget. What percent of the population went without healthcare coverage due to a drop in employer-sponsored health insurance benefits? What piece of legislation aimed at changing public workers' health benefits resulted in backlash from union leaders in Iowa? How are employers looking to curb healthcare costs?

Metrics:

- Key market indicators and leading organizations among health systems, physicians and health plans
- Health systems’ market share
- Income, revenue, enrollment and pharmacy spend for leading health plans
- Demographics

Scope:

Harrisburg, which includes the counties of Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon and Perry

Primary Research:

Analysis of HealthLeaders-InterStudy data, Billian’s HealthDATA, local and state news and industry reports and interviews with local healthcare executives.

- Wellmark
- Coventry Health Care
- UnitedHealth Group
- Iowa Health-Des Moines
- Mercy Health Network
- Broadlawns Medical Center
- Iowa Health Physicians and Clinics
- Mercy Clinics
- National CooperativeRx
- Iowa Association of Business and Industry
- Iowa Business Council
- Wellness Council of Iowa

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