IOWA

Overview

Iowa has been active in introducing state market initiatives as part of the state’s healthcare reform efforts. In 2019, legislators pursued a bill establishing a single-payer system for the state. The proposed system, called the Healthy Iowa Program, would have provided comprehensive universal single-payer healthcare coverage and a healthcare cost control system for the benefit of all residents of Iowa. In another notable effort, the state pursued an act in 2018 that would establish a public option for Iowa residents by implementing a state-run Medicaid program. This plan would have allowed Iowans to pay a premium to the state and get the same coverage as Medicaid patients. Although unsuccessful in their respective sessions, Iowa’s latest attempts at state-level reform can be seen as laying the groundwork for future efforts.

To control healthcare costs, Iowa protects consumers from some surprise medical bills by requiring insurers to cover all charges provided to an enrollee for emergency services, including those provided by out-of-network professionals and facilities. Additionally, Iowa’s telehealth law provides coverage parity, requiring insurers to provide the same level of coverage for telemedicine as in-person visits.

In the provider market, Iowa has limited oversight of certain non-profit corporations by requiring court approval for public benefit or religious corporations prior to a merger with a for-profit corporation. In 2020, Iowa’s certificate of need law, which requires healthcare providers to obtain state approval before opening a new facility, survived a legal challenge in the 8th Circuit after being attacked as anticompetitive and unconstitutional.

See below for an overview of existing Iowa state mandates. Click on citation tab for detailed information of specific statutes (click link to download statute text).

State Action


Latest Legislative Session: 1/9/2023 - 5/17/2023 (2023-2024 term). *Current session bill updates are ongoing. Check back weekly for updates.

Filter by Key Issue, Year, or Status
Download User Guide

© 2018- The SLIHCQ DatabaseInitial funding for this project was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

Filter by Key Issue
Download User Guide

© 2018- The SLIHCQ DatabaseInitial funding for this project was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
Filter by Key Issue


Additional Resources

STATE BUDGET

Iowa’s fiscal year begins July 1st and ends June 30th of the following year. To view Iowa’s budget bill and information by agency, click here.

REGULATION & ENFORCEMENT

  • Iowa was one of 16 states to file an amicus brief supporting the FTC’s winning position in the Ninth Circuit appeal of St. Luke’s Health Care Sys. v. FTC, No. 14-35173 (March 7, 2014), decided February 10, 2015. The States’ brief stated that the acceleration of health care costs due to the growth of large health care provider systems had become a matter of grave concern for the states.

KEY RESOURCES