Healthcare

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SSB 3020: A bill for an act relating to the authority of an attorney in fact under a durable power of attorney for health care.

This Iowa bill clarifies that a person appointed to make health care decisions (an "attorney in fact") must prioritize the patient's written instructions in the durable power of attorney document, a separate life-sustaining procedures declaration, or direct communications to them. It specifies that verbal wishes shared with others or in unrelated documents do not limit the appointee's authority unless explicitly stated in the power of attorney. If the patient's wishes are unknown, the appointee must act in the patient's best interest, considering their medical condition. The bill aims to reduce confusion about decision-making authority under existing health care proxy laws.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareClarifies patient decision-making authority to protect rights under healthcare power of attorney, aligning with patient rights indicators.90% confidence

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died · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2220: A bill for an act relating to mental health care, including subacute mental health care facility requirements; admission to and discharge from a subacute mental health care facility; employment requirements at a subacute mental health care facility; insurance coverage for subacute mental health care; and the establishment of a psychiatric medical institution for children bed tracking system, and providing penalties and including effective date provisions.

HF 2220 establishes new standards for Iowa's subacute mental health care facilities. It requires facilities to create a written treatment plan within 24 hours of a resident's admission and eliminates preauthorization for the first 15 days of care. The bill limits managed care organizations to one review of medical necessity every 30 days after day 45 of treatment and prohibits discharge until proper support plans are in place. It also mandates an electronic bed-tracking system for children's psychiatric facilities and adjusts facility requirements to be less stringent than state mental health institutes. This bill directly affects subacute mental health facilities, residents, health insurers, and managed care organizations.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEliminates preauthorization for 15 days, mandates 24-hour treatment plans, limits managed care reviews, and prohibits premature discharge - directly improving mental health care access and continuity per bill provisions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Mental Health

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 29, 2026

HF 2212: A bill for an act establishing a state minimum hourly wage for direct care professionals.

HF 2212 establishes a new state minimum hourly wage for direct care professionals in Iowa, directly affecting workers providing personal care, independent living support, and basic health services in nursing facilities, homes, or childcare centers. The bill sets a $20.00 hourly minimum wage for these workers starting July 1, 2026, with a $19.10 minimum for those with less than 90 days of employment at the same employer. This rate supersedes the federal minimum wage when higher, applying to defined roles like home health aides, certified nurse aides, and direct support professionals. The law amends existing wage provisions to specifically address direct care workers' compensation, with enforcement under Iowa’s labor laws.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes higher minimum wage for direct care workers in healthcare settings (nursing facilities, health services), directly supporting workforce stability and quality of care in health-related professions.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill establishes $20/hour minimum wage for direct care workers, exceeding federal rate and directly increasing compensation for vulnerable workforce.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Minimum Wage

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 15, 2026

HF 2096: A bill for an act relating to the disclosure of the prices charged for health services rendered by health care providers and hospitals.

HF 2096 requires health care providers to publicly disclose, in a single document updated annually, the prices for their 25 most common services using both standard medical codes and plain language descriptions. Hospitals must disclose prices for their 75 most common inpatient and 75 outpatient services (grouped by Medicare standards), updated quarterly, in the same accessible format. All disclosed prices must include a clear disclaimer stating they are estimates, not binding charges, and actual costs may vary based on individual circumstances. The law directs Iowa's health department to align these requirements with existing federal price transparency rules to avoid duplication. This bill directly affects all health care providers and hospitals in Iowa by mandating standardized, publicly available pricing for common services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates price transparency for healthcare services, improving patient access to cost information and enabling informed decision-making per healthcare policy indicators.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicare

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 21, 2026

SF 2057: A bill for an act relating to the right to contraception.

SF 2057, the "Right to Contraception Act," establishes a statutory right for Iowans to access contraceptives and for healthcare providers to offer them. It prohibits restrictions that single out contraceptive services, providers, or facilities, or that impede access regardless of a person's race, gender identity, income, disability, or location. The bill requires any government limitation on contraception to be justified by "clear and convincing evidence" that it significantly advances safety and cannot be achieved through less restrictive means. This directly affects all Iowans seeking reproductive healthcare and healthcare providers delivering contraception services, ensuring equal access to these essential health services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes statutory right to contraception access, prohibits restrictions on providers/facilities, protecting patient rights in healthcare services per summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Women's Health

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died · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2193: A bill for an act relating to living organ donors and life insurance, disability insurance, and long-term care insurance.

HF 2193 prohibits Iowa insurance companies from discriminating against living organ donors in life, disability, or long-term care insurance. The bill specifically bans insurers from denying coverage, limiting benefits, charging higher prices, or restricting coverage solely because a person is a living organ donor. It also prevents insurers from requiring donors to give up their ability to donate organs as a condition of coverage. The law defines a "living organ donor" as someone who has donated part or all of an organ while alive, and requires the Iowa Insurance Commissioner to create rules for enforcement. This directly affects individuals who have donated organs and seek or maintain insurance coverage.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProhibits insurance discrimination against organ donors, protecting healthcare access and patient rights in coverage.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Long-Term Care

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 13, 2026

SF 2027: A bill for an act relating to the double up food bucks program, and making appropriations.

This bill appropriates $1 million from Iowa's general fund for fiscal year 2026-2027 to support the Double Up Food Bucks program. It directly affects Iowa residents who receive federal SNAP benefits (food assistance) by expanding their access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The funds will be provided as a grant to the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative to help participants double the value of their SNAP benefits when purchasing produce at participating farmers markets and grocery stores. The program aims to increase access to healthy food options without changing existing SNAP eligibility or benefit amounts.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $1M from general fund to expand SNAP benefits for fresh produce, directly funding a public assistance program under budget allocations.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds $1M for Double Up Food Bucks program, expanding SNAP benefits for fresh produce access to improve public health nutrition under health and human services initiatives.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Procurement State Budget

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 27, 2026

SF 2102: A bill for an act relating to health care coverage of certain public school district personnel under the state health insurance plan, providing fees, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions.

SF 2102 allows public school district employees and elected officials who are not covered by collective bargaining agreements for health insurance (defined as "nonstate public employees") to enroll in Iowa’s state health insurance plan. School districts must apply for this coverage, pay monthly premiums matching rates for state employees plus administrative fees, and deposit payments into a new trust fund. Unpaid premiums incur interest, and the state may withhold other district funds until payments are made. The bill requires annual reports on coverage costs and enrollment, effective July 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands state health insurance coverage to public school employees previously excluded from collective bargaining health plans.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands health insurance benefits for non-union public school employees, enhancing workplace benefits without restricting rights or collective bargaining.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Collective Bargaining

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died · Iowa · House Mar 2, 2026

HF 2094: A bill for an act directing the department of health and human services to increase the number of inpatient psychiatric beds at each state mental health institute.

HF 2094 requires Iowa's Department of Health and Human Services to at least double the number of inpatient psychiatric beds at each state mental health institute by July 1, 2027, using the bed count from June 30, 2025, as the baseline. The bill also mandates that the department apply for a federal Medicaid waiver by October 1, 2026, to allow Medicaid funding for these additional beds. This policy directly affects Iowa's state mental health institutes by requiring them to expand capacity and navigate federal funding changes. The bill aims to increase access to inpatient psychiatric care through concrete, time-bound requirements.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates doubling psychiatric beds at state mental health institutes and secures Medicaid funding via waiver, directly expanding mental health care access and capacity.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Medicaid Mental Health

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 21, 2026

SF 2049: A bill for an act relating to autologous and directed blood donations at blood banks and hospitals.

This bill requires Iowa blood banks and hospitals to honor patient requests for autologous (blood donated for their own future use) or directed (blood donated for a specific person) blood donations when ordered by a physician for a medical procedure that may need transfusion. It mandates that facilities comply with these requests, subject to all existing federal and state blood donation laws, and allows them to charge a reasonable fee for facilitating such donations. The bill directly affects patients planning surgeries or procedures requiring potential blood transfusions, as well as blood banks and hospitals that handle blood donations. Key provisions clarify definitions of donation types and establish the compliance and fee rules.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates blood facilities to honor physician-ordered autologous/directed donations for medical procedures, improving patient access to transfusion services per medical need.92% confidence

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