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Des Moines, Iowa healthcare access
Des Moines offers a concentrated mapped care system with route and coverage questions
The rendered healthcare ledger lists seven hospitals within 12 kilometers, 1,630 reported beds, 48 pharmacies, 201 selected Medicare specialists, seven HRSA adult primary care sites within 15 miles, and five Medicare emergency hospitals within 30 miles. The nearest listed emergency hospital and CMS rated hospital are about 1.7 miles away, with a 3 of 5 star entry.
Iowa Methodist, MercyOne, Iowa Lutheran, Broadlawns, and the Des Moines VA Medical Center create a geographically useful starting map. The facility list does not answer appointment availability, network acceptance, wait times, quality for a particular person, or the best route from every home.
Access to care
7 hospitals are listed within 12 km. A primary care visit, a pharmacy stop, and an urgent need may not all be equally close to the same home.
7
Hospitals Within 12 km
- Healthcare Access
- Excellent
- Hospital Access
- Excellent
- HRSA Adult Primary Care Sites Within 15 Miles
- 7
- Nearest HRSA Adult Primary Care Site
- 0.9 mi
Everyday and urgent care
Primary care and pharmacy access shape frequent appointments. Specialist and emergency options matter when a need cannot wait.
Everyday care
- Primary Care Access
- Very Good
- Registered Retail Pharmacies
- 48
More involved care
- Medicare Listed Selected Specialists in City
- 201
- Emergency Care
- Excellent
Specialists and long term care
Specialist availability, emergency options, and longer term health can matter once you have chosen a neighborhood.
- Medicare Listed Rheumatology Clinicians in City
- 2
- Medicare Listed Nephrology Clinicians in City
- 18
- Medicare Listed Pulmonary Disease Clinicians in City
- 12
- Medicare Listed Endocrinology Clinicians in City
- 7
- Medicare Listed Ophthalmology Clinicians in City
- 5
- Medicare Listed Neurology Clinicians in City
- 26
- Medicare Listed Medical Oncology Clinicians in City
- 12
- Medicare Listed Cardiology Clinicians in City
- 38
- Medicare Listed Geriatric Medicine Clinicians in City
- 0
- Residents 65+ Without Health Insurance
- 0.5%
- Medicare Emergency Hospitals Within 30 Miles
- 5
- Nearest Medicare Emergency Hospital
- 1.7 miles
- Nearest CMS Rated Hospital
- 1.7 mi away
- Reported Hospital Beds Within 12 km
- 1630
- Life Expectancy at Birth — National (2024)
- 78.9 years
- Medicare Advantage Plan Options
- 24
- CMS Certified Nursing Homes Within 15 Miles
- 38
- Nearest CMS Certified Nursing Home
- 2.0 mi away
- Medicare Listed Home Health Agency Offices in City
- 5
- Medicare Listed Hospice Provider Offices in City
- 2
- Medicare Listed Dialysis Facilities in City
- 5
- CMS Reported Ambulatory Surgical Centers in City
- 1
- CMS Listed Inpatient Rehab Facilities in City
- 1
- CMS Listed Long Term Care Hospitals in City
- 1
- CMS Listed Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities in City
- 1
- CMS Listed Rural Health Clinics in City
- 0
- CMS Listed Federally Qualified Health Centers in City
- 10
- CMS Listed Home Infusion Therapy Supplier Enrollments in City
- 0
- Residents 65+ With a Disability
- 36.1%
- CMS Listed Ambulance Service Supplier Enrollments in City
- 6
- CMS Listed MDPP Supplier Enrollments in City
- 0
- Life Expectancy
- About 78.9 years
- Walkability for Health
- Good
3 of 5 stars · 1.7 mi away
University Park Nursing And Rehabilitation Center (165272) · 2.0 mi away
Des Moines in everyday life
Could Des Moines work for you?
What may work well
- Seven hospitals, 1,630 reported beds, 48 pharmacies, 201 selected specialists, and seven HRSA primary care sites create a detailed starting care map.
- Iowa Methodist's official source identifies a 24 hour emergency department and verified Level I Adult Trauma Center.
- The ledger includes nursing homes, home health, hospice, dialysis, rehabilitation, FQHC, psychiatric, and ambulance records for a broader review.
What to think about
- Facility counts, bed counts, distance, and a CMS star entry do not settle quality, capacity, wait time, coverage, outcomes, or specialty appointments.
- A care cluster still needs a route from the selected home, parking, accessibility, prescription, caregiver, and winter plan.
- The Recommended car label matters when driving changes, weather is poor, or repeated care trips use time and support.
Plan Des Moines healthcare with provider, coverage, and route checks
Map care from the home
Place the home, preferred primary care, pharmacy, Iowa Methodist, MercyOne, Iowa Lutheran, Broadlawns, emergency, rehabilitation, and post acute options on one map.
Verify network and services
Ask about coverage, referrals, appointment process, prescription access, language, payment, accessibility, parking, emergency entry, and the route from home.
Plan for changing mobility
Review the Recommended car plan, DART or backup rides, winter, heat, storms, parking, caregiver support, and a period without driving.
Use the decision actions
Save the strongest care map, Compare another address, and choose Find my fit after provider, network, pharmacy, emergency, post acute, and route questions are answered.
Questions retirees ask
What hospital is closest in the ledger?
Iowa Methodist Medical Center is listed about 1.7 miles away. The nearest CMS rated hospital is also about 1.7 miles away with a 3 of 5 star entry. Confirm services, network, parking, accessibility, referrals, and route.
How many primary care sites are nearby?
The ledger lists seven HRSA adult primary care sites within 15 miles, with the nearest at 0.9 miles. Use that as a starting shortlist and verify practice details directly.
What does the 3 of 5 star hospital entry mean?
It is a facility specific CMS entry for the nearest listed hospital. Keep it separate from the citywide facility map and verify the care, coverage, specialty, and personal fit questions that matter to the household.
What do zero post acute listings mean?
A zero entry means the current file found no Des Moines listing for that category. It does not rule out nearby service. Confirm the regional provider, coverage, distance, and route for the selected home.
Can the hospital list choose a doctor for me?
No. It organizes research. Provider fit, coverage, appointment availability, specialty, payment, language, accessibility, and personal needs require direct verification.
Des Moines offers a concentrated starting care map, including Iowa Methodist, MercyOne, Iowa Lutheran, Broadlawns, primary care, pharmacies, and post acute records. Save the strongest route plan, Compare another home, and choose Find my fit after coverage, provider, transportation, and support questions are answered.
Sources
Hospitals, primary care, pharmacies, specialists, and emergency care all affect how close and practical care may feel.
Confirm insurance acceptance, specialist availability, language needs, prescription access, and emergency care before making serious plans.
- OpenStreetMap healthcare amenities static probe
Used for Healthcare Access, Primary Care Access
- FEMA RAPT / HIFLD Hospitals
Used for Hospital Access, Hospitals Within 12 km, Reported Hospital Beds Within 12 km
Checked 2026-07-19
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for Medicare-Listed Selected Specialists in City, Medicare-Listed Rheumatology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Nephrology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Pulmonary Disease Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Endocrinology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Ophthalmology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Neurology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Medical Oncology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Cardiology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Geriatric Medicine Clinicians in City
Checked 2026-07-13
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services NPPES NPI Registry
Used for Registered Retail Pharmacies
Checked 2026-07-19
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; FEMA RAPT / HIFLD; U.S. Census Bureau
Used for Emergency Care, Medicare Emergency Hospitals Within 30 Miles, Nearest Medicare Emergency Hospital, Nearest CMS-Rated Hospital
Checked 2026-07-12
- U.S. Census Bureau
Used for Residents 65+ Without Health Insurance
- Health Resources and Services Administration
Used for HRSA Adult Primary-Care Sites Within 15 Miles, Nearest HRSA Adult Primary-Care Site
Checked 2026-07-18
- World Bank
Used for Life Expectancy at Birth — National (2024), Life Expectancy
Checked 2026-06-18
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Used for Medicare Advantage Plan Options
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Certified Nursing Homes Within 15 Miles, Nearest CMS-Certified Nursing Home
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for Medicare-Listed Home Health Agency Offices in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for Medicare-Listed Hospice Provider Offices in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for Medicare-Listed Dialysis Facilities in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Reported Ambulatory Surgical Centers in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Listed Inpatient Rehab Facilities in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Listed Long-Term Care Hospitals in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Listed Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Listed Rural Health Clinics in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Listed Federally Qualified Health Centers in City
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Listed Home Infusion Therapy Supplier Enrollments in City
- U.S. Census Bureau
Used for Residents 65+ With a Disability
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for CMS-Listed Ambulance Service Supplier Enrollments in City, CMS-Listed MDPP Supplier Enrollments in City
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Walkability Index
Used for Walkability for Health
Checked 2026-07-10
Not yet available for this place: Specialist Access.
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