Iowa Senate To Debate Legislation That Would Extend Health Coverage To Nearly All Uninsured Children

Main Category: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 11 Mar 2008 - 8:00 PDT

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The Iowa Senate Human Resources Committee on Thursday voted 11-2 to approve a bill that would require nearly all families in the state obtain health coverage for their children by 2011, the Des Moines Register reports. The bill would provide coverage to children in low-income families through Hawk-I, the state's version of SCHIP. According to state Sen. Jack Hatch (D), a sponsor of the bill, the measure would extend coverage to nearly all of the 3% of Iowa children who are uninsured.

The bill also would encourage use of electronic health records and require physicians and hospitals to submit "quality measures" that would be publicly reported. The measures are not defined in the bill, but they would include hospital infection and mortality rates, Hatch said. The legislation also would encourage the use of medical homes and coordinated care.

A provision that was deleted from the bill would have required all proposed new hospitals and nursing homes to seek permission from a state council that determines whether such facilities are needed. According to Hatch, legislators chose to wait until the court rules on the issue.

The measure now moves to the full Senate. A House committee last week approved a companion bill that includes many similar provisions (Leys, Des Moines Register, 3/7).

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