Healthcare

signed · Iowa · House Apr 16, 2026

HF 2680: A bill for an act relating to certified medication aides.

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 The bill rescinds outdated administrative rules about medication aide training and mandates new rules to standardize certification across all relevant facilities.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareSimplifies certification for medication aides, eliminates fees for registry access, and allows out-of-state reciprocity to improve staffing access in nursing homes and care facilities.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Iowa · House Apr 16, 2026

HF 2434: A bill for an act relating to insurance coverage for health care services provided pursuant to a referral by an out-of-network primary care provider.

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.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires insurers to cover out-of-network PCP referrals at in-network cost levels, improving patient access and protecting rights without higher out-of-pocket costs.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Iowa · House Apr 9, 2026

HF 2564: A bill for an act relating to a pregnant minor’s legal capacity to consent to the provision of certain medical care.

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.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables pregnant minors to access prenatal/postnatal care without parental consent, improving healthcare access for a vulnerable population.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Iowa · Senate Apr 9, 2026

SF 2198: A bill for an act relating to the authority of an attorney in fact under a durable power of attorney for health care.

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.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareClarifies healthcare decision-maker authority to follow patient's expressed wishes, protecting patient autonomy in medical decisions per bill's explicit language.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

passed · Iowa · Senate Mar 26, 2026

SF 2319: A bill for an act relating to the inclusion of the your life Iowa program on public school internet sites.

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.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates schools to include suicide prevention resources on websites/ID cards, enhancing student access to mental health support within educational environment.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates inclusion of suicide prevention program resources on school websites/ID cards, directly expanding student access to mental health services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Iowa · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SF 2464: A bill for an act relating to state finances by modifying the taxes imposed on health maintenance organizations, making transfers from the taxpayer relief fund, making and supplementing appropriations to the department of health and human services, and including effective date, contingent effective date, and retroactive applicability provisions.

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates new tax revenue for Medicaid managed care fund, increasing state health services funding through HMO tax.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates new tax revenue specifically for Medicaid managed care, increasing funding for healthcare services and expanding access to health coverage.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · Iowa · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SF 319: A bill for an act relating to certain cost controls for health care services.

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.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires price transparency for patients, protecting rights by disclosing cash vs. insurance costs and enabling informed healthcare decisions.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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signed · Iowa · House Jun 27, 2025

HF 1049: A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations to the department of veterans affairs and the department of health and human services, and related provisions and appropriations, including aging and disability services; behavioral health, public health, community access and eligibility; the medical assistance program, state supplementary assistance, Hawki, and other health-related programs; sex reassignment surgeries or associated procedures; family well-being and protection; state-operated specialty care, administration and compliance; transfers, cash flows, and nonreversions; prior appropriations; the beer and liquor control fund, and the behavioral health fund; report on nonreversion of moneys; emergency rules; and a hospital directed payment program; and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

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.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds behavioral health, medical assistance, sex reassignment surgeries, and aging/disability services under health programs, directly advancing healthcare access and coverage.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill explicitly allocates state funds to Department of Veterans Affairs and related health programs, directly funding veterans' services per title and summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Iowa · House Jun 27, 2025

HF 1038: A bill for an act relating to the opioid settlement fund, making appropriations and disbursements, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

HF 1038 allocates funds from Iowa's opioid settlement to state agencies addressing the opioid crisis, directly affecting programs that provide treatment, prevention, and recovery services. The bill specifies how the money is distributed (disbursed) to eligible state entities and includes rules for when the funding takes effect, including retroactive application for prior periods. It does not change eligibility for the settlement funds but establishes the legal framework for their use. The bill passed unanimously and was signed into law by the Governor on June 6, 2025.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates opioid settlement funds to state agencies for treatment, prevention, and recovery services under health and human services, directly funding healthcare programs addressing the opioid crisis.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

vetoed · Iowa · House Jun 11, 2025

HF 383: A bill for an act relating to the controlled substance crystalline polymorph psilocybin.

HF 383 would remove the pharmaceutical form of psilocybin (specifically crystalline polymorph COMP 360) from Iowa's Schedule I controlled substances list once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves it and reschedules it under federal law. This would allow doctors to legally prescribe, distribute, and market COMP 360 for medical use, directly affecting healthcare providers and patients seeking this treatment. The bill automatically aligns Iowa law with federal FDA decisions on this specific pharmaceutical formulation. Note: The bill was vetoed by the governor on June 11, 2025, so it has not become law.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill enables medical prescription of psilocybin treatment, expanding patient access to novel healthcare option once FDA-approved.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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