BW INSIGHTS

What is the Manufacturing 4.0 Technology Investment Program?

The Iowa Economic Development Authority and Gov. Reynolds announced that an additional $2,000,000 of the funds provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) have been invested in the Manufacturing 4.0 Technology Investment Program. The program is intended to help small- and mid-size Iowa manufacturers invest in the adoption and integration of... Read More

New CMS COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities

On Thursday, August 27, 2020, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) publicly filed an unpublished Rule related to COVID-19 testing requirements for long-term care (LTC) facilities. The Final Rule is scheduled for publication on September 2, 2020 and will go into effect immediately. CMS issued a memorandum to State Survey Agency Directors... Read More

Iowa Dental Board Issues Third FAQ to Assist Dentists with Practice Re-Openings

The Iowa Dental Board (the Board) has issued a third FAQ to address questions received in response to the “Guidelines for the Safe Transition Back to Practice” and the first and second FAQs previously released. The new FAQ addresses questions from dentists about various topics, including: use of half facepiece respirators, defining “potential... Read More

UPDATE - Do Health Care Providers Have Legal Immunity When Treating COVID-19 Patients?

I previously wrote a blog discussing the lack of legal immunity for health care providers treating COVID-19 patients (read here). However, since then, Governor Kim Reynolds, in coordination with the Iowa Department of Public Health (“IDPH”), issued the Personal Protective Equipment (“PPE”) Shortage Order due to PPE limitations. This Order does... Read More

COVID-19 Prompts Changes to Iowa Certificate of Need Requirements

On March 17, 2020, Governor Reynolds issued a moratorium of the Iowa Certificate of Need (“CON”) requirements for institutional health care facilities. Included within the definition of institutional health care facilities are hospitals and nursing facilities. Pursuant to the Governor’s proclamation, institutional health care facilities would not... Read More

HIPAA Fee Limitations for Record Requests

Health care providers and staff commonly receive medical record requests from current or former patients of their practice for a variety of reasons. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) allows for patients to request copies of their own records, with a few limitations, but notably, the regulations also limit... Read More