BW INSIGHTS

Iowa Dental Board Issues New FAQ to Clarify Guidance for Dental Practice Re-Openings

With many dental offices reopening or preparing to reopen for elective procedures this week, the Iowa Dental Board (the Board) has issued a second FAQ to address questions received in response to the “Guidelines for the Safe Transition Back to Practice” issued last week. The original FAQ is also still available for reference. The FAQs address... 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

2020 Legislative Session - Week 2

With subcommittee and committee work underway, moves to regulate vaping products are gaining steam on both sides of the aisle. In response to a new federal law raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21 years old, Iowa lawmakers are working toward codifying the change at the state level. Senate State Government... Read More

2020 Legislative Session-Week 1

The first week of the 2020 Iowa legislative sessionstarted Monday with the swearing-in of a new House Republican leadership team. Rep. Pat Grassley (R-New Hartford) was officially named Speaker of the House, while Rep. Matt Windschitl (R-Missouri Valley) was sworn in as Majority Leader. Grassley listed workforce-related issues as his top concerns,... 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

Iowa Dental Board Phone Scam

The Iowa Dental Board has released an alert to warn dental providers of a phone scam targeting providers. The Dental Board received information that a caller is impersonating a Dental Board investigator, calling from a spoofed phone number that appears to be a Dental Board phone number. The Dental Board issued the following statement in response... Read More

Iowa Dental Board Releases Regulatory Update on Electronic Prescribing Mandate

The Iowa Dental Board released a regulatory update that beginning January 1, 2020, all prescriptions, unless exempted, must be transmitted electronically. This new electronic prescribing (“e-prescribing”) mandate will be regulated by the Iowa Board of Pharmacy as well as the provider’s professional licensing board. Read the full news release on... Read More

Owning a Private Aircraft for Personal and Business Use

Owning a private aircraft personally or through a medical or dental practice may be convenient for taking vacations or attending conferences across the country, but there are important legal, tax, and liability concerns for the aircraft owner. The FAA Regulations govern any owner’s right to use an airplane, but the FAA scrutinizes any arrangement... Read More