A bill for an act relating to the statute of repose in medical malpractice claims.

HF 256 modifies Iowa's medical malpractice statute of repose, extending the six-year deadline for filing claims beyond the standard limit when healthcare providers conceal the cause of injury. It directly affects patients who discover their injury was caused by negligence only after providers intentionally hid the malpractice. The bill adds a second exception to the six-year rule (beyond the existing foreign object exception), allowing lawsuits to proceed if a physician, hospital, or their staff concealed the negligent act or omission. This change applies to licensed healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, dentists, and hospitals covered under chapters 147 or 135B of Iowa law. The bill does not alter the standard two-year statute of limitations for when a claimant knew or should have known of the injury.