SF 2184 updates Iowa's licensing rules for medical doctors (both allopathic and osteopathic) and administrative medicine license holders. It requires licenses to expire on the licensee's birthday, limits renewal to every three years, caps continuing education at 15 hours annually, and mandates final license decisions within 45 days (or 75 days with notice of delays). The bill directly affects all physicians and administrative medicine licensees in Iowa by streamlining application processing and reducing recurring requirements. Key provisions include standardized license terms, simplified renewal rules, and clear timelines for board decisions.
HF 2680 simplifies certification for medication aides working in Iowa nursing homes, residential care facilities, and specialized care centers. The bill requires Iowa's Department of Inspections to create a free online registry where medication aides can submit proof of passing exams, eliminating fees for accessing or submitting certification records. It also allows aides certified in other states to become certified in Iowa without retaking nurse aide exams or meeting additional employment requirements. The bill rescinds outdated administrative rules about medication aide training and mandates new rules to standardize certification across all relevant facilities.
HF 2434 requires insurance companies in Iowa to cover health care services referred by an out-of-network primary care provider (PCP) without charging higher out-of-pocket costs than for in-network referrals. It directly affects patients who rely on PCPs not in their insurance network, ensuring they face the same deductible, copay, or coinsurance as if the PCP were in-network. The law prohibits insurers from denying coverage solely based on the PCP’s network status and allows them to verify if the patient has a direct primary care agreement with that PCP. This bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies to referrals made after that date.
HF 2564 allows pregnant minors in Iowa to legally consent to prenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal medical care from specific healthcare providers (including physicians, nurse practitioners, and emergency providers) if their parent, guardian, or legal custodian is not reasonably available. This directly affects pregnant minors who lack immediate adult support for their medical needs. The bill ensures minors can authorize care without parental involvement in these specific circumstances, while maintaining that healthcare providers must still obtain the minor’s informed consent. It does not change existing requirements for providers to secure consent directly from the minor patient.
This bill clarifies the authority of a health care decision-maker (attorney in fact) appointed under a durable power of attorney for health care in Iowa. It requires the decision-maker to follow the person's expressed wishes as written in the power of attorney, a separate life-sustaining procedures declaration, or communicated directly to them. The bill specifies that verbal requests to others or other documents cannot restrict the decision-maker's authority unless the power of attorney document explicitly states limitations. If the person's wishes are unknown, the decision-maker must act in their best interests based on medical condition and prognosis.
This bill requires Iowa public schools serving students in grades 7-12 to list the "Your Life Iowa" suicide prevention program's contact information (phone, text numbers, and website) as a resource on their school websites. It also mandates that schools issuing student ID cards to grades 7-12 must include this information on the cards, with schools serving grades 5-6 allowed to optionally include it. The law directly affects students in these grade levels by making suicide prevention resources more accessible through school-issued materials and online platforms. It does not change existing suicide prevention services but ensures schools proactively share this specific resource.
This bill creates a new health care-related tax on health maintenance organizations operating in Iowa, requiring them to pay 0.95% of their taxable funds to a newly established Medicaid managed care organization premiums health care tax fund. The tax applies to payments received from enrollees for health care services and benefits, while excluding certain federal payments, and includes provisions for prepayment, credit refunds, and enforcement measures like license suspension for nonpayment. Additionally, the legislation appropriates funds from the taxpayer relief fund and supplements appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services, with specific effective dates and retroactive applicability provisions included.
This bill creates a new health care-related tax on health maintenance organizations operating in Iowa, with revenues deposited into a new Medicaid managed care organization premiums health care tax fund. The tax rate begins at 3.5% for the first nine months of 2026 before dropping to 0.95% for the remainder of that year and all subsequent years, applying to payments made by these organizations for health care services and benefits. The legislation also establishes prepayment requirements, allowing organizations to pay estimated taxes in advance and receive credits or cash refunds if they overpay. Additionally, the bill includes provisions for tax collection, penalties for late payments, and the ability to offset certain assessments against this new tax liability.
SF 319, titled "The Patient’s Right to Save Act," requires health care providers to disclose the discounted cash price for each specific service they accept as payment. Providers must share this price in advance, including any variations based on timing, location, or patient income, and inform patients that cash payments may not be cheaper than insurance-negotiated rates. The bill mandates annual reviews of these prices and requires clear communication about cash payment options to both insured and uninsured patients before services are provided. It directly affects health care providers who accept cash payments, aiming to increase price transparency for consumers.
HF 1049 is an appropriations bill that allocates state funds to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Health and Human Services. It directly affects programs including aging and disability services, behavioral health initiatives, the medical assistance program, and state-operated specialty care. The bill specifically includes funding for sex reassignment surgeries or associated procedures within health-related programs. Signed into law on June 11, 2025, it provides financial support for these services and includes reporting requirements for unspent funds.
