University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Downtown — Local services in Iowa City

I never write reviews, but this really needs to be called out. I went to this ER because I have a very rare disease that can A. leave me blind B. make go into a coma and C. make me have kidney failure with the VERY high doses of Diamox I have to take. It is absolutely critical to get my kidneys tested since during that time I was on 3,500 ER Diamox EVERY DAY--this leads to kidney failure and kidney stones! I'm only 25, and I found it absolutely astonishing that the doctor I went to was beyond full of himself. We go into the ER and say I need a blood test and perhaps a CT for my kidneys (they were hurting for weeks). I was moving from Indiana to Iowa during the time my kidneys were acting up, so I wasn't able to establish care in Iowa yet (I called University of Iowa weeks before, and it was a huge wait to get into a doctor). So, I went to Mercy because my kidneys were in so much pain. The doctor was beyond rude, and then proceeded to tell us that he specializes in my very rare disease (a disease which only a handful of Neuro-Ophthalmologists actually specialize in), because he did research on high altitude sickness and taking Diamox. Did he fail to realize these people with high attitude problems are only on 500 mg of Diamox a day at max? While I was on 3,5000 a day FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS! Turned out, that so far, nothing is wrong my kidneys, but instead of a CT, he ordered a ultrasound. I am now probably going to have to get a CT as my kidneys are always acting up because my pills I take are TOXIC. I also had low potassium, the doctor LAUGHED at this and said it was " a banana low" did he know the dose of potassium I was taking to keep it up to that level and it was still low? Turns out, I had severe potassium deficiency in the past and future. It's nothing to laugh about. Yet, this doctor didn't think my problems were a big deal.

Here's the thing that REALLY ticked me off. We paid over 2,700 for COBRA. My insurance paid for only half of this Mercy visit, which was 2,437.80. I called my insurance company thinking it was their problem, but it turns out it was MERCY HOSPITAL that wouldn't forgive me from paying 1,196.58.

I had to go to Ohio Wexner to actually get treated for my disease when I lived in Indiana, and they were nothing, but kind. They forgive these bills because someone with my disease has health bills up to their neck. How can Ohio Wexner have so much more mercy for people who are FIGHTING to survive than this Mercy hospital itself? We filed a petition to have Mercy at least pay for some of this 1,196.58, and they REFUSED to pay ANY OF IT.

So, thank you Mercy hospital, for having no mercy or compassion at all.

So, yes, every month I am stuck with endless lab work (which costs money), endless referrals to specialists and doctor visits (which costs money), my Diamox cost per month which is over $600, my sleep study (which costs a lot), , and during that time I was also FLYING to Ohio every MONTH to get proper care so I didn't go blind from this disease before I could get my care switched to a NO in Iowa...do you know how much those trips to save my eyes cost us per month?

Please don't give your money to this hospital. They don't take your disease seriously, and if you're stuck with a bill while being especially sick--they don't have any mercy, and they will make you pay the whole thing and MORE (I'm sorry my insurance didn't cover everything, at least I came in with insurance...at least I paid almost 3,000 for insurance).

I guess most of all.... Mercy Hospital, you have treated me like I am worthless, annoying, and not worth saving. This is the exact opposite anyone with a serious disease should be feeling.

If Mercy just paid 50, 100, 200 of this bill that would helped us so much. I will only be doing business with University of Iowa from now on, I...

The ONLY reason this is a 2 star and not a negative number is because the care received at Mercy is fantastic. The doctors are amazing, and Mercy is in fact my go to for medical. So , NOT a review of doctors and care - but rather of their billing department and lack of ease in trying to pay and get a receipt to submit to insurance or HSA.

I've tried calling 4 times today to just get this number which they call an ID number which is needed to sign up for their online pay. I tell who ever I am speaking with I want to pay online to get the receipt in order to submit to HSA. They try very hard to get me to pay over the phone - to the point of one of the women was so insistent I ended up hanging up on her. On the last call, I was passed to 4 different departments before I got to someone who could help. She's walking me through how to pay online - and I'm taken to a screen which just asks for payment information. She told me that they are working on their system, so for now, they try their best to match up the amount with the patients name - so, if you're feeling generous, you could go pay someone else's bill if you'd like. But back to the issue of the receipt - this does not provide ANY form of receipt. Just that I paid a certain dollar amount. So I ask what my other options are - she says that she could email me a receipt of I pay over the phone (again, not sure why they are so keen on the over the phone payments). I then ask how the itemized receipt would get to me - she then back tracks and says either through the mail or by fax. I then ask why she can't email - when she said she could before. She tells me because it's not secure. So my only other option is to go in person and pay. Only issue is I have a day job. They're a 24/7 operation that has a billing department that's there from 8-4 M-F. No Saturday options.

I know this may seem petty - but I need a receipt. I have an HSA account to help pay medical bills. I have to provide proof that it was indeed medical. Sadly, just paying a hopsital doesn't shout that to the insurance company - therefore I need this little piece of paper that seems impossible to get. If the bill was 20-50 bucks, sure, what ever. But for a hefty 1000-1500 hospital bill if I am unable to provide proof it was indeed medically necessary, I will be required to pay out of pocket - which I'm not wanting to do.

You'd think being in the medical industry and dealing with insurance and HSA and HRAs, they'd know this. But would rather make it quite difficult to obtain the needed information to...

As good as service can get in terms of hospital. The part where these guys FAIL at is the billing after. I've been trying to pay my bill for MONTHS! I understand how this hospital went bankrupt and belly up because they almost refuse to take my money. I called and asked for an itemized statement initially. When I got it, I called to set up payment plan and before I could make the first payment, I got disconnected (maybe hung up on?). I called again on a later date, I was told that I could not pay until the plan was finished being set up and I got my new statement. I went MONTHS without getting a new statement and I called to find out what happened in fear of being sent to collections....after being connected with someone...they said that the hospital was bought out and I needed to set up a new payment plan under their new system. We did that and I made an initial payment and never heard nothing back from them. I've called multiple times since then and was told they could not find my account. After many attempts over the following weeks, I was able to get someone that finally pulled up my account and sent the new statements to me. TODAY I spent 2 hours trying to call on the statement I got...I was disconnected 5 times before I was able to talk to someone. I paid a payment on one of five accounts...after i was read my confirmation number I was disconnected again. I called back and kept getting disconnected multiple more times until the next lady answered. She took my info and said that someone would call me back once they were available. Almost an hour had gone by and I still have not heard nothing back so I tried calling back again....and shocker....I was unable to get anyone and i kept calling until they closed and had to leave a voicemail. I've never had such a hard time to give someone my money....this is almost comical...I just want to pay my bill. Someone...