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Telehealth Bill Passes Iowa Senate, PBM Bill Could Cost State $10.2M
Friday, March 19, 2021A bill that would allow Iowans to access audio-only telehealth services passed a Senate subcommittee Wednesday. Under HF 431 state health care boards that already permit providers to offer telehealth services would be required to implement rules allowing for audio-only options, such as by phone. The bill passed the House last month. It must pass the full Senate Human Resources Committee to survive the second funnel deadline on April 2.
The non-partisan Legislative Services Agency (LSA) released a fiscal note last Monday laying out projected costs to the state if a bill tightening regulations on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) passes. Among other things, HF 729 would delineate how PBMs assess fees, reimburse pharmacies, and determine consumer cost-sharing. LSA estimates that as written, the measure would increase the cost of insurance coverage for State of Iowa employees by $10.2 million a year. The Commerce Revolving Fund would also need to pay out $76,000 for a new Insurance Complaint Analyst to enforce the regulations.