Healthcare

passed · Iowa · House Jan 21, 2026

HF 995: A bill for an act relating to the issuance of a medical cannabidiol registration card to a person who is not a resident of Iowa.

House File 995 amends Iowa's medical cannabidiol laws. This bill removes the current requirement that an individual must be a resident of Iowa to receive a medical cannabidiol registration card. It achieves this by striking specific code sections that mandate Iowa residency and by removing the word "Iowa" from references to a patient's residence address when applying for the card. As a result, non-residents of Iowa would become eligible to obtain a medical cannabidiol registration card in the state.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves residency barrier for medical CBD card, expanding access to health service for non-residents, improving patient access.90% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · House May 9, 2025

HF 707: A bill for an act relating to a standing appropriation to the department of health and human services to make free radon test kits available to homeowners and renters in the state.

House File 707 establishes a standing annual appropriation of $20,000 to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), beginning in fiscal year 2025-2026. This funding is dedicated to making free radon test kits available to homeowners and renters throughout the state. HHS will distribute these kits through existing contracts with the Iowa radon awareness recipient, certified radon laboratories, or other approved vendors. All test kits must be obtained from and analyzed by a certified radon laboratory, and distributors are required to provide resulting data to HHS upon request. The department will also provide an online link on its website for ordering these kits.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $20,000 annually to fund free radon test kits via HHS, advancing public health program funding within state budget.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds free radon testing kits through HHS, a public health initiative to prevent lung cancer, aligning with healthcare funding and prevention programs.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations

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signed · Iowa · Senate May 19, 2025

SF 565: A bill for an act providing for the continuation of health insurance in certain circumstances for the surviving spouse and each surviving child of employees of the state of Iowa and including retroactive applicability provisions.

SF 565 provides for the continuation of health insurance coverage for the surviving spouses and children of employees of the state of Iowa. This bill ensures that these family members can maintain their health insurance benefits under specific conditions after the employee's death. It also includes provisions for retroactive applicability, meaning it could apply to past situations. The aim is to offer continued health coverage to these surviving families.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnsures continued health insurance coverage for surviving dependents of state employees, protecting existing benefits without coverage gaps per bill's purpose.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExtends health insurance benefits to surviving dependents of state employees, protecting family welfare after death under labor & employment subject category.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

in committee · Iowa · Senate Jun 16, 2025

SF 284: A bill for an act relating to medical income assistance trust fees.

SF 284 increases the monthly amount that can be paid for necessary expenses from medical income assistance trusts in Iowa without court approval, raising the limit from $10 to $50 per month. This change directly affects individuals using these trusts to manage healthcare costs, allowing them more flexibility for routine trust expenses. The bill amends existing code sections to adjust this automatic expense allowance, simplifying the process for beneficiaries. It does not create new programs or alter eligibility requirements.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareIncreases monthly allowable healthcare expense from $10 to $50 without court approval, improving access to trust funds for routine healthcare costs under medical income assistance trusts.90% confidence

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signed · Iowa · House May 27, 2025

HF 933: A bill for an act relating to pediatric palliative care centers, and including effective date provisions.

HF 933 establishes requirements for pediatric palliative care centers in Minnesota, directly affecting children with serious illnesses and their families. The bill mandates specific standards for facility operations, staffing, and care coordination to ensure specialized medical support. It requires centers to meet these standards to provide services for pediatric patients facing life-threatening conditions. Signed into law by the Governor on May 27, 2025, the bill creates a framework for consistent, high-quality palliative care access.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates standards for pediatric palliative care centers, establishing requirements for operations and care coordination to improve specialized medical support for children with serious illnesses.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Children's Health

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

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signed · Iowa · Senate Jun 11, 2025

SF 383: A bill for an act relating to pharmacy benefits managers, pharmacies, prescription drugs, and pharmacy services administrative organizations, and including applicability provisions.

SF 383 requires pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) to disclose drug pricing details and standardized fee structures to pharmacies and insurers. It limits certain PBM practices that affect prescription drug costs and establishes transparency rules for pharmacy services administrative organizations. The law directly affects PBMs, pharmacies, and insurance companies managing prescription drug benefits. Signed into law by the Governor on June 6, 2025, it aims to increase transparency in drug pricing and pharmacy billing.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires PBMs to disclose pricing transparency, reducing drug costs and improving patient access to medications.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Prescription Drugs

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 6, 2025

HF 232: A bill for an act relating to credit for accrued sick leave of public safety employees.

This bill allows retired public safety employees in Iowa to convert all their unused sick leave into cash value (at 100% of current worth) to help pay for their health insurance premiums. It also extends this benefit to surviving spouses or dependents after a retired employee's death, using the remaining value for their health insurance costs. The policy applies to all retired public safety employees (as defined in state law) who have applied for retirement benefits, but excludes those covered by collective bargaining agreements that already provide employer-paid retirement health savings. The bill directly affects retired public safety workers and their families by providing financial support for ongoing health coverage.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill enables retired public safety employees to use converted sick leave cash to pay health insurance premiums, directly supporting healthcare affordability and access for beneficiaries.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands health insurance benefit for retired public safety employees by converting unused sick leave to cash, directly enhancing employment-related benefits for a specific workforce group.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Paid Leave Public Employees

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 6, 2025

HF 219: A bill for an act relating to the duties of insurers under medical malpractice insurance policies.

HF 219 requires health insurance companies covering medical malpractice claims to negotiate settlement offers within policy limits in good faith. If an insurer refuses a claimant's settlement offer at or below the policy limit and the case results in a judgment exceeding that limit, the insurer must pay the full judgment amount. This directly affects health care providers (insureds) and their insurers, giving providers a legal claim against insurers for failing to negotiate within policy limits. The bill shifts liability to insurers for excess judgments when they unreasonably reject reasonable settlement offers.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires insurers to negotiate malpractice settlements in good faith, protecting healthcare providers from financial loss due to insurer bad faith, strengthening provider rights within healthcare insurance framework.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 11, 2025

SF 202: A bill for an act relating to ensuring the provision of accessible prescription-related measures for persons who are blind, have a visual impairment, or otherwise have print disabilities.

SF 202 requires Iowa's pharmacy board to adopt rules by October 31, 2025, ensuring people who are blind, visually impaired, or have print disabilities receive accessible prescription labels, bag tags, and medical guides at no extra cost. These materials must be provided in fully accessible formats (like audio) within the same timeframe as standard labels for other patients. The rules must align with federal accessibility guidelines from a 2016 government report and include public notice about available formats. The board must report progress, recommendations, and projected costs for implementing these changes to Iowa's governor and legislature by January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires accessible prescription materials for disabled patients, improving healthcare access without extra cost per federal guidelines.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Prescription Drugs

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