Healthcare

died · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2269: A bill for an act relating to the use of the titles physician assistant and physician associate.

This bill changes the official title from "physician assistant" to "physician associate" in all Iowa laws, regulations, and government documents, effective immediately. It ensures that licensed professionals using the new title retain all existing rights, responsibilities, and scope of practice, and prohibits discrimination or altered relationships with employers, healthcare facilities, or insurers due to the title change. During a transition period, individuals may use either "physician assistant," "physician associate," or "P.A." until the new title becomes common. All state agencies must update forms, guidance, and documents to reflect the change by January 1, 2027, without altering current practice standards.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill ensures physician associates retain full scope of practice and prevents discrimination, protecting healthcare access and professional rights without restricting services.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Medical Licensing

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SF 2185: A bill for an act relating to the reporting of serious reportable events, and providing penalties.

SF 2185 requires hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and birth centers in Iowa to report "serious reportable events" (like severe injuries or lost body parts) to the Department of Inspections within 15 working days. Facilities must also conduct root cause analyses and implement corrective action plans for these events, filing reports confidentially via an electronic system. The bill mandates the Department to analyze reports to identify systemic failures and improve healthcare quality, while prohibiting the system from punishing individual errors. It protects confidentiality of patient and staff information and requires annual public reports on trends and recommendations. This applies directly to healthcare facilities providing inpatient or surgical care.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates reporting of serious medical incidents and root cause analyses to improve healthcare quality and prevent patient harm, aligning with patient safety protections.85% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 9, 2026

HSB 695: A bill for an act relating to self-administered hormonal contraceptives.

This bill (HSB 695) allows Iowa pharmacists to dispense FDA-approved self-administered hormonal contraceptives (like pills, rings, or patches) to patients aged 18+ without a doctor’s prescription, under a standing order from the Department of Health. Pharmacists must complete training, conduct health screenings (blood pressure, risk assessment), and provide patient education on use, side effects, and follow-up care. It requires pharmacists to limit initial supplies to three months (up to twelve months after), refer patients needing medical care, and maintain records. The bill also mandates insurance coverage for these contraceptives without exclusion, aligning with FDA-approved methods and excluding abortion-inducing drugs.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands access to reproductive healthcare by enabling pharmacists to dispense contraceptives without prescriptions, improving patient access to essential health services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Prescription Drugs Women's Health

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introduced · Iowa · House Feb 11, 2026

HF 2415: A bill for an act relating to certain health insurance policies, contracts, and plans and a special enrollment period for pregnant women.

HF 2415 requires health insurance plans sold in Iowa to provide a special enrollment period for pregnant women. It allows women to enroll in coverage after a health care professional certifies pregnancy, up to 16 weeks gestation, without fees or penalties. Coverage becomes effective the first day of the month when pregnancy is certified (or the following month if chosen). The bill applies to most individual and group health insurance plans sold in Iowa after January 1, 2027, but excludes dental, vision, short-term, Medicare supplement, and accident-only plans.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires special enrollment for pregnant women in health insurance without fees/penalties, expanding access to coverage and improving patient access to healthcare services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Medicare Women's Health

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SF 2248: A bill for an act providing for paid family and medical leave to certain employees who have a child receiving inpatient care in a neonatal intensive care unit.

This bill requires Iowa employers with 10 or more full-time employees to provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave to workers whose child is hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The leave must be paid at the employee's regular hourly rate or salary, including all benefits like health insurance. Employers who fail to comply face penalties, including back pay and legal costs, with enforcement handled by the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. It directly affects Iowa workers with newborns in NICU care and their employers.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires paid leave for NICU care with health insurance coverage, preventing loss of healthcare access during medical leave for newborns.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires paid leave for NICU child care, expanding employee benefits and protecting workers' rights under labor standards with employer enforcement.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Insurance Paid Leave

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 16, 2026

HF 2454: A bill for an act relating to the employment of temporary licensed mental health counselors by school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools.

HF 2454 creates a temporary license for mental health counselors who have met all licensing requirements except the postgraduate supervised clinical experience. This allows school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to hire such temporary counselors to provide mental health services to students under a qualified supervisor. The temporary license is valid for three years and renewable, with fees set by the licensing board to cover administrative costs. Schools must ensure these counselors work under supervision as defined by the board.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllows schools to hire temporary mental health counselors, directly enhancing student mental health services and educational support programs in K-12 settings.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables schools to hire temporary mental health counselors, expanding student access to mental health services under supervision.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health Medical Licensing Mental Health

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signed · Iowa · House Apr 9, 2026

HF 2564: A bill for an act relating to a pregnant minor’s legal capacity to consent to the provision of certain medical care.

HF 2564 allows pregnant minors in Iowa to legally consent to prenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal medical care from specific healthcare providers (including physicians, nurse practitioners, and emergency providers) if their parent, guardian, or legal custodian is not reasonably available. This directly affects pregnant minors who lack immediate adult support for their medical needs. The bill ensures minors can authorize care without parental involvement in these specific circumstances, while maintaining that healthcare providers must still obtain the minor’s informed consent. It does not change existing requirements for providers to secure consent directly from the minor patient.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables pregnant minors to access prenatal/postnatal care without parental consent, improving healthcare access for a vulnerable population.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 19, 2026

SF 2322: A bill for an act relating to insurance coverage for prescription insulin drugs.

This bill (SF 2322) requires most health insurance plans in Iowa to cap out-of-pocket costs for prescription insulin at $35 per prescription for up to a 31-day supply. It directly affects diabetes patients covered by health insurance plans that include prescription drug coverage, limiting their cost-sharing for four types of insulin: rapid-acting, short-acting, intermediate-acting, and long-acting. The cap applies to any covered insulin prescribed as medically necessary by a healthcare provider, though insurers may choose to set lower cost-sharing amounts. The rule takes effect for plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2027, and excludes certain specialized insurance types like Medicare supplements.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCaps insulin out-of-pocket costs at $35, improving access and reducing financial burden for diabetes patients covered by insurance plans.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Medicare Prescription Drugs

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 10, 2026

SF 2226: A bill for an act relating to the use of automated adjudication systems by health carriers, and including civil penalties.

This bill (SF 2226) requires health insurance carriers in Iowa to use human clinical reviewers before automatically denying or downcoding claims submitted by health care providers. It mandates detailed written notices to providers explaining any automated denial or downcode, including the reason, policy justification, and appeal rights (with 30 days to appeal). Health carriers must also disclose their automated system use and oversight processes to the insurance commissioner and maintain documentation for five years. The law applies directly to health carriers (insurance companies, HMOs, etc.) and affects health care providers who submit claims for reimbursement.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires human review before automated claim denials, mandates detailed notices/appeal rights, protecting providers/patients from arbitrary denials and improving access to care.90% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyRestricts AI use in health insurance claims by mandating human review before automated denials or downcoding.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 18, 2026

SF 2347: A bill for an act relating to city emergency medical services property tax levies.

SF 2347 allows Iowa cities to establish a property tax fund for emergency medical services (EMS) after voter approval. Cities must meet specific conditions: they cannot have an existing EMS district (Chapter 357G), participate in an emergency response district (Chapter 357J), or be in a county already levying a similar tax under Chapter 422D. The bill authorizes cities to impose a maximum property tax rate of $0.75 per $1,000 of assessed value, subject to a 60% voter approval threshold at a city election. This fund would cover EMS costs, including those listed in Chapter 422D.6, and the tax can be terminated using the same voter approval process.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill authorizes new property tax levy ($0.75/$1k) to fund EMS services, directly enabling public safety program funding through targeted taxation.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill authorizes property tax funding for EMS services, directly advancing emergency medical care funding under healthcare policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tags Public Safety

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