The physician shortage is not exclusive to Iowa, as the projected physician shortfall could reach as high as 86,000 physicians by 2036, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. But compared with other states, Iowa’s shortage is one of the most dire.
Also, House lawmakers passed a bill Thursday that would make it a crime to send unsolicited sexually-explicit photos or videos. One legislator dubbed it the “anti cyber flashing” bill.
Also, new Iowa House Rep. Blaine Watkins — elected to replace Rep. Martin Graber — is sworn in
Hospital leaders gathered Tuesday at the Iowa Capitol to show support for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal to improve access to high-quality health care in rural Iowa and address the state's shortage of health care professionals.
Plans outlined this week by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds to address the state’s physician shortage by increasing medical residency slots in the state could help bolster access to physician services and rural health care. One Iowa hospital CEO says the challenge will be making sure new residency slots can be supported at hospitals across the state.
In some rural Iowa counties, birth rates have fallen by three-quarters since the height of the baby boom in the 1950s and ‘60s, when many rural hospitals were built or expanded.
The 340B program lets eligible hospitals and clinics buy drugs at a discount and then bill insurance companies, Medicare, or Medicaid at market rates. Hospitals get to keep the money they make from the difference. But emergency hospitals — a designation created to help struggling small hospitals — are not eligible for 340B discounts.
Keokuk’s shuttered hospital was among the fewer than two dozen rural hospitals that were converted into Rural Emergency Hospitals in the program’s first year. Now, advocates and lawmakers say tweaks to the law are necessary to lure more takers and keep health care in rural communities.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill supporters say will help address the healthcare needs of Iowa’s underserved rural communities.
U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Bob Casey introduced legislation that proposes a permanent expansion of a Medicare program for rural hospitals in Iowa and across the nation.
The measure, sponsored by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, provides a potential lifeline for rural hospitals, which have struggled to stay afloat for years against declining and aging populations.
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