Des Moines, Iowa: The Iowa Clinic Says It Will End UnityPoint Contracts in 2027 if Talks Fail

The Iowa Clinic, the physician group based in West Des Moines, Iowa, announced on Wednesday that it will end its contracts with UnityPoint Health in 2027 if the two organizations cannot resolve their concerns, putting a 30-year partnership in central Iowa health care in question.

UnityPoint Health is the largest health care system in Iowa. The Iowa Clinic does not own or operate UnityPoint hospitals. Its physicians provide hospital-based services inside those hospitals under contractual agreements, so the contracts decide where many central Iowa patients see their doctors.

What the Iowa Clinic said

In a statement, the clinic said it hopes to resolve the issues before the first of the contracts begin terminating in February 2027. "Despite repeated efforts to resolve significant concerns in our relationship, those issues have gone unaddressed by UnityPoint Health," the statement said. The clinic said its concerns reach beyond the terms of individual contracts to the broader clinical and operational environment in which its physicians and hospital teams care for patients.

The clinic said its physicians took contractual steps designed to open a real dialogue about the partnership. "We are seeking to realign our partnership to one built on trust, accountability, operational support and a shared commitment to patient care," the statement said.

What UnityPoint said

UnityPoint Health has alerted its medical workforce about the possible cancellations. The health system said the termination dates vary by contract, beginning in February 2027 and continuing through October 2027, "so there are no immediate changes to our current contracts, how we partner, or how care is delivered."

If the agreements do end, the clinic said, UnityPoint leadership would have to address how those hospital-based services continue. Depending on the outcome, the clinic said, there could be changes to where certain hospital-based services are provided.

A partnership already in court

The two organizations are already suing each other over Lakeview Surgery Center in West Des Moines, which opened in 2002 and is jointly owned under a 2000 operating agreement. The Iowa Clinic exercised its right to sell its 50 percent stake to UnityPoint and, citing independent valuations, has demanded $37.8 million for that share. UnityPoint has argued in court filings that it owes far less, and the case sits before the Iowa Business Specialty Court with no trial date set.

What happens next

Nothing changes for patients right away. The first termination date is February 2027, and the last is October 2027, which leaves both sides more than a year of talks. The clinic says it wants a realigned partnership, and UnityPoint says care continues as it does today while the two sides work through the disagreement.