BW INSIGHTS

Iowa's State Health Facilities Council Approves Over $6 Million of New Projects

The State Health Facilities Council (the “Council”) met on February 21, 2018, and granted a certificate of need (“CON”) to each of the following projects by a vote of 4-0: The purchase of a 3.0 Tesla MRI by the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics at a cost of $2,681,912. The purchase of a PET/CT system by the University of Iowa Hospitals and... Read More

Iowa Certificate of Need Law Under Constitutional Attack

Iowa has become the latest battleground in a nationwide effort to challenge state “certificate of need” laws. Since 1977, Iowa’s certificate of need (“CON”) law has required approval for any “new or changed institutional health service.” The Iowa General Assembly enacted the CON law to avoid unnecessary duplication of healthcare services and to... Read More

New Guidance on Dental Labs as Business Associates

In March 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) confirmed that a dentist does not need to sign a business associate agreement with a dental lab when the dentist shares with the lab protected health information for purposes of treating patients. The OCR guidance, which was provided in an e-mail to the... Read More

Iowa Certificate of Need Becomes Focus of Iowa Legislature

Two bills have been introduced this week at the Iowa Legislature to significantly limit the scope of Iowa’s Certificate of Need (“CON”) Program. One of these bills was introduced by Governor Branstad. Committee action on at least one of these bills is planned for next week in advance of next week’s funnel deadline. Below you will find links to the... Read More

DOL to Extend Minimum Wage & Overtime to More Home Health Care Workers

The U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule on September 17, 2013 that extends the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to most home health care workers. Effective January 1, 2015, the “companionship” exemption of the FLSA will be narrowed, extending minimum wage and overtime protections to... Read More