University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
11/11/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/12/2026 08:28
Task force finds UI Health Care and Mission Cancer + Blood integration enhanced quality of care, with opportunity to improve financial experience
A task force reviewing cancer patient billing following Mission Cancer + Blood's integration with University of Iowa Health Care found that while patients continue to highly value the quality of their cancer care, they also need clearer and earlier information about costs and financial support.
The task force presented its findings earlier today to the Iowa Board of Regents. The group convened to examine concerns about cancer care costs and billing following the 2024 integration, listen directly to patients, assess the impact of billing practices, and recommend practical improvements.
"Patients consistently told us they value the quality, compassion and coordination of their cancer care," said Denise Jamieson, MD, MPH, UI vice president for medical affairs, dean of the Carver College of Medicine, and task force chair. "At the same time, they told us the financial side of cancer treatment can be difficult to understand and navigate. What this tells us is that these two things can be true at the same time: Patients can value the care they receive while still struggling with the financial experience that accompanies it. Our responsibility is to preserve what patients value while making that financial experience clearer and more manageable."
Patients value care, but some experienced higher costs
Over six meetings, the task force reviewed patient experiences, billing data, patient communications, financial assistance programs, and health care financing. Members also interviewed patients with a range of financial experiences and rural health care leaders about cancer care access across Iowa.
Among the findings:
- Patients highly value their clinical care. Nearly all patients interviewed said their cancer care remained excellent or improved following the transition. Patients consistently praised the quality, compassion, and responsiveness of their care teams and valued receiving high-quality cancer care close to home.
- The integration expanded access to specialized care. Mission patients have greater connections to specialists at Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, multidisciplinary tumor boards, innovative treatments, and clinical trials. A joint clinical trials program now serves patients in central Iowa and Iowa City.
- Most Mission patients experienced little or no billing change. Approximately 71% of Mission patients experienced little or no change. Billing changes affected approximately 29%, primarily commercially insured patients receiving care at four locations that became newly eligible for hospital-based billing. Medicare and Medicaid patients generally experienced little or no change.
- Some patients experienced meaningful financial challenges. Patients described unexpected costs, confusing bills and difficulty understanding how insurance coverage and billing practices affected what they owed.
- Financial assistance can significantly reduce patient costs. UI Health Care already offers sliding-scale financial assistance, drug copayment assistance, grants, self-pay discounts, charity care, and other support. The task force identified an opportunity to connect patients with those resources earlier.
Bradley Hiatt, DO, a Mission Cancer + Blood physician and task force member, said preserving the relationships between patients and their local cancer teams was an important goal of the integration.
"Our physicians and care teams have provided exceptional care for patients in their own communities for 45 years," Hiatt said. "We treasure the strong relationships we have built, and the patient is always at the center of every decision we make. Now, our patients are still receiving care from the local physicians and care teams they trust, while also gaining better access to specialized care and clinical trials through UI Health Care. Together we are providing a stronger foundation for cancer care in Iowa for the long term."
Moving from findings to action
Based on its review, the task force recommends that UI Health Care:
- Communicate with patients earlier and more clearly about billing, potential costs, insurance considerations, and where to get help.
- Connect patients with financial assistance sooner by increasing awareness of existing programs and access to financial counselors.
- Work with insurers, employers, policymakers, and other health care organizations on broader affordability and access challenges.
- Continue listening to patients and measuring progress to determine whether the changes improve the patient experience.
Steve Lacy, a member of the Iowa Board of Regents who served on the task force, said the value of the work will be measured by what happens next.
"We didn't set out to form a task force to reassure us everything is fine," Lacy said. "We wanted the facts, and we wanted to hear directly from patients. The conclusion is pretty straightforward: there is a lot about this partnership that is working, and there are areas where we need to do better. Now we need to act on what we learned, measure whether it is working and hold ourselves accountable."
Jamieson shared Lacy's sentiment: "Cancer is difficult enough for patients and families. Our responsibility is to make the path to care clearer, more supportive, and more accessible. We will act on what we heard, continue listening to patients, and work with others across Iowa to address the factors affecting health care affordability, while preserving the high-quality cancer care Iowans deserve."
Patient financial assistance information is available on the UI Health Care website.
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics published this content on November 11, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on November 12, 2026 at 14:28 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]