Hospices in Iowa
A fact sheet for reporters, from public CMS data. Free to use with credit to “a HospiceCompare analysis of CMS data”.
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In Iowa, 68 hospices cared for people with Medicare in 2024, up from 60 in 2014, according to a HospiceCompare analysis of CMS data. Together they served 20,904 Medicare patients in 2024. Of the 70 hospices with an office in Iowa in the latest CMS enrollment file, 37% are for-profit and 30 have no CMS family survey star rating.
The numbers
* Average of the star ratings CMS published for hospices in the state, computed by HospiceCompare; CMS publishes no average star rating. The “would definitely recommend” averages are CMS’s. CMS publishes a star rating only when enough families answered its survey. Source: HospiceCompare analysis of CMS data (Care Compare hospice data released August 2026; Hospice Enrollments loaded October 20, 2026).
Ownership and growth
| Ownership | 2014 | 2019 | 2024 | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| For-profit | 14 | 18 | 22 | 26 (37%) |
| Nonprofit | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 (37%) |
| Government | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 (14%) |
| Other | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 (11%) |
Years: hospices that billed Medicare, by their ownership as CMS lists it today. Today: hospices with an office in the state. Source: HospiceCompare analysis of CMS data (Medicare Post-Acute Care and Hospice utilization by provider, 2014 to 2024, loaded October 20, 2026).
Hospices and Medicare patients per year
| Year | Hospices that billed Medicare | Medicare patients |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 60 | 14,952 |
| 2015 | 63 | 15,496 |
| 2016 | 64 | 15,807 |
| 2017 | 64 | 16,691 |
| 2018 | 64 | 16,751 |
| 2019 | 64 | 17,461 |
| 2020 | 64 | 18,361 |
| 2021 | 66 | 18,919 |
| 2022 | 66 | 19,837 |
| 2023 | 67 | 19,970 |
| 2024 | 68 | 20,904 |
A person cared for by two hospices in a year is counted by both. CMS does not publish counts below 11. Source: HospiceCompare analysis of CMS data (Medicare Post-Acute Care and Hospice utilization by provider, 2014 to 2024, loaded October 20, 2026).
Largest hospices by Medicare patients in 2024
Size is a count of patients, not a measure of quality.
| Hospice | City | Ownership | Medicare patients | CMS star rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suncrest Hospice | West Des Moines | For-profit | 1,444 | 4 of 5 |
| Everystep | Des Moines | Other | 1,048 | 4 of 5 |
| Hospice Compassus - Northeast Iowa | Cedar Rapids | For-profit | 992 | 4 of 5 |
| Cedar Valley Hospice | Waterloo | For-profit | 948 | 5 of 5 |
| Mercyone Genesis | Bettendorf | Nonprofit | 911 | 4 of 5 |
| St Croix Hospice | Strawberry Point | For-profit | 909 | 4 of 5 |
| St Croix Hospice | Spirit Lake | For-profit | 866 | 4 of 5 |
| Hospice of Dubuque | Dubuque | Nonprofit | 864 | 5 of 5 |
| Hospice of Mercy | Hiawatha | Nonprofit | 731 | 4 of 5 |
| St Croix Hospice | Charles City | For-profit | 692 | 4 of 5 |
Hospice offices by county
Counties by the address of each hospice’s office. Hospices usually care for people at home across several counties, so an office count is not a count of the hospices serving a county.
How to cite
HospiceCompare analysis of CMS data (Care Compare hospice data released August 2026; Medicare hospice utilization 2014 to 2024). https://www.hospicecompare.org/press/iowa
Methods and limits of the data: Data and methods. National numbers and charts: Press room. Questions: info@funeralus.com.