A bill for an act relating to health care including a funding model for the rural health care system; the elimination of several health care-related award, grant, residency, and fellowship programs; establishment of a health care professional incentive program; Medicaid graduate medical education; the health facilities council; and the Iowa health information network, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions.

SF 618 proposes to overhaul Iowa's health care system by establishing a new "hub-and-spoke" funding model designed to improve rural health care delivery. The bill eliminates several existing health care-related award, grant, and loan repayment programs previously administered by state agencies. These programs are replaced by a new, consolidated "health care professional incentive program," which will offer loan repayments for eligible federal student loans. The legislation includes transition provisions to ensure that current participants in the eliminated programs continue to receive their contracted benefits.