HF 2280 expands Iowa's $250 individual income tax credit for emergency medical services personnel to include non-certified first responders who meet specific qualifications. The bill requires the Department of Revenue to establish rules defining these qualifications under Chapter 17A. It also applies the credit retroactively to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, covering past tax filings. This change directly affects emergency medical personnel who currently lack certification but perform first responder duties.
This bill modifies Iowa's subacute mental health care regulations. It requires facilities to create a resident's initial treatment plan within 24 hours of admission (replacing a prior 10-day limit), and sets strict timelines for insurance approval: 48 hours for urgent requests, 5 days for standard non-urgent requests, and 10 days for complex cases. It directs health and licensing departments to eliminate rules hindering facility expansion or access, and to ease staffing requirements for subacute facilities compared to state mental health institutes. The changes apply immediately upon enactment.
HF 2314 requires Iowa health insurance plans to cover diagnosis and treatment for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders (PANS), PANDAS (a subset of PANS), and postinfectious autoimmune encephalopathy. It mandates coverage for medically necessary treatments - like antibiotics, behavioral therapies, plasma exchange, and immunoglobulin - as recommended by a healthcare provider and aligned with established medical protocols. The law applies to individual, group, and small group health insurance plans delivered or renewed in Iowa on or after January 1, 2027, and prohibits insurers from denying coverage based on prior treatment for these conditions or unrelated health issues. This directly affects children diagnosed with these conditions and their insurance providers.
This bill (SSB 3118) prohibits utilization review organizations (insurance companies that approve medical treatments) from using artificial intelligence as the sole basis to deny, delay, or downgrade prior authorization requests for medically necessary care. It requires human review by qualified medical professionals - either a "qualified reviewer" (a physician in the same specialty) or a "clinical peer" (a non-physician specialist) - for all denials or downgrades. The bill mandates written explanations for denials, including specific reasons and reviewer credentials, and requires a consultation between the provider and reviewer within seven business days of denial. It directly affects health insurers, healthcare providers requesting coverage, and patients needing treatment approvals.
HF 2264 sets a minimum hourly wage of $15.20 for home health aides working under Iowa's Medicaid program, effective July 1, 2026. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to adjust Medicaid reimbursement rates for home health agencies to ensure this minimum wage is met. It also appropriates state general funds to cover the cost of these higher reimbursements for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. This directly affects home health aides providing Medicaid-covered services and home and community-based waiver services in Iowa.
HF 2471 allows residents in Iowa health care facilities to install electronic monitoring devices (like cameras or audio recorders) in their rooms, with specific requirements. Facilities must obtain written consent from all roommates before installation, and if consent is denied, must try to move the resident to a different room. The bill prohibits facilities from retaliating against residents who use these devices and requires them to post notices about monitoring in rooms. Residents or their legal representatives cover all costs for purchasing, installing, and maintaining the devices. This directly affects residents seeking privacy or safety measures and health care facilities managing room accommodations.
HF 2665 requires new single-family and two-family residential construction (after adoption) to include passive radon mitigation systems in the building code. It creates a tax credit of up to $1,000 for homeowners and renters to cover the cost of installing radon mitigation systems, applying retroactively to tax years beginning January 1, 2025. For rental properties, tenants can test for radon (with results ≥4 picocuries per liter triggering landlord action), and landlords must install mitigation systems within 90 days or face lease termination with rent refunds. The bill also appropriates $100,000 for free radon test kits available to homeowners and renters through the state health department.
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 2585 requires Iowa pharmacies to provide accessible prescription information - including drug labels, bag tags, and medical guides - in formats like audio or large print at no extra cost to people who are blind, visually impaired, or have print disabilities. Pharmacies must offer this by January 1, 2027, or refer customers to pharmacies that do, ensuring information is accessible in a timely manner comparable to sighted customers. Each year by April 1, the state pharmacy board must publish an online list of participating pharmacies. The law excludes institutional pharmacies (e.g., in hospitals), donation program pharmacies, and correctional facility pharmacies from these requirements.
This bill requires doctors in specific specialties (like family medicine, cardiology, and psychiatry) to complete one hour of nutrition and metabolic health continuing education every four years to renew their licenses. It updates Iowa's certificate of need rules to require approval for certain healthcare expansions, including behavioral health outpatient facilities, organ transplants, and equipment purchases over $1.5 million. The bill also establishes a "Summer EBT for Children" program aligned with federal SNAP guidelines, mandating that participating programs provide "healthy foods" as defined by the state. These changes directly affect licensed healthcare providers, facilities seeking expansions, and low-income children eligible for summer nutrition benefits.
