Iowa program
A room near treatment (Ronald McDonald House, Iowa City)
Ronald McDonald House in Iowa City offers rooms near treatment for eligible families.
What it is
Ronald McDonald House in Iowa City offers rooms near treatment for eligible families.
A nearby room can make repeated treatment visits easier when home is far away. The house decides eligibility and room availability. It is charity lodging, with a waiting list when rooms are full.
Eligibility rules
- The hospital’s published listing serves families of children age 21 or younger who live at least 20 miles from Iowa City and are receiving qualifying care there. The house must confirm the specific treatment site and stay requirements.
What you get
- A room near the Iowa City hospital during your child’s treatment.
What the help includes
- The hospital listing describes family rooms, shared facilities, a pantry and scheduled meals. The house confirms any charge or requested donation, guest limit, treatment documents and infection-control requirements. Rooms depend on availability; a referral or waiting-list entry is not a reservation. This charity service does not automatically use Medicaid’s separate lodging benefit.
If you decide to apply
- Ask the hospital’s social worker for a referral, or speak with the house at 319-500-7642.
- Have your home address and treatment schedule ready, including the nights you need.
Ronald McDonald House, Iowa City: 319-500-7642 · Official page ↗
After you ask
- The house confirms any offered nights. If rooms are full, the hospital social worker can discuss other nearby lodging.
Good to know
A referral does not reserve a room. Limited availability can mean a wait.
Other details
- This is a charity service, not a state benefit. Medicaid’s long-trip lodging help has a separate approval process.
“If we need to stay near treatment in Iowa City, would this house fit our family? Could you help us check the cost, room rules and availability before arranging a referral?”
Why I’m asking: I want a realistic place to stay near treatment, including another option if the house is full.
More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules
Who does what
The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.
You
Ask on the first day rather than the day you need a bed.
Your social worker
The hospital social worker makes the referral.
The care team
Records and letters when the application asks for them.
- Who decides
- The house decides on rooms and the waiting list.
- Ask your social worker
- “We live at least 20 miles away. Can you put our name down for the Ronald McDonald House now, before induction starts?”
How to apply
First step: Ask the hospital social worker to refer you, or call 319-500-7642.
- Ask the social worker on the first day to put your name down, before you need the room.
Official application / program page ↗
Where it starts: Ask the hospital's social worker to refer you, or call the house directly.
What to gather
- Your home address and the distance
- The treatment schedule
How long: Not published; there can be a waiting list.
What a yes looks like
A room offered for the nights of treatment.
What a no looks like, and the next move
A place on the waiting list. Ask the social worker what else is near the hospital.
Watch out
- Rooms are limited and there is a waiting list. Ask on the first day.
- It is a charity, not a state award, and no placement time is promised.
Each hospital’s own policy
The federal rule sets the floor; each hospital’s policy sets the actual numbers. “Unknown” means the policy could not be read yet: call the number and ask.
The numbers and the rules
The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.
What it is worth
Lodging near the hospital in Iowa City for families of children 21 or younger living at least 20 miles away.
- $21 — Oldest age of the child served
- $20 — Distance from Iowa City required
Covers: A room near the hospital during treatment
What it costs the family: Set by the house, not published here.
The eligibility facts, as published
- Age
- 21 or younger
- Distance
- at least 20 miles from Iowa City
- Availability
- limited rooms; a waiting list exists
The trap: Rooms are limited and there can be a waiting list. Ask the social worker to put your name down on the first day, not the week you need it.
Where I read this
- University of Iowa Health Care, Ronald McDonald House and Hope Lodge — University of Iowa Health Care, read September 10, 2026