BW INSIGHTS

The Contracting and Credentialing Process for New Dentists

It’s a busy time for recent dental graduates across the state. After years of planning and preparation, you have walked across the stage and have taken the first step of your professional career. However, while exciting, this time can certainly be filled with unfamiliarity as well. Our Health Law team assists many new dentists as they transition... Read More

Physician Employment Contracting - Top Five Terms to Consider

Our health law team reviews, revises, and negotiates many physician employment contracts each year—contracts with major health systems, contracts with group practices, contracts with nonprofit health centers, and private practice buy-in deals. This experience gives us a view of physician contracting that may be a bit broader than the perspective... Read More

Governor Reynolds Fills Vacancy on State Health Facilities Council

The State Health Facilities Council is a five-member board appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate that reviews, and approves or denies, Certificate of Need (CON) applications to establish or change certain institutional health services in the state. CON applications relate to facilities such as hospitals, nursing facilities, and... Read More

Mandatory Reporters of Child and Dependent Adult Abuse Subject to New Training Requirements Effective July 1

Iowa law requires many health care professionals (and others) to report incidents of suspected abuse of children or of dependent adults. Professionals subject to this requirement—often called “mandatory reporters”—include physicians, dentists, optometrists, chiropractors, dental hygienists, nurses, physician assistants, emergency medical care... Read More

Is it a Pet or an Assistance Animal

In recent years, the number of requests for assistance and emotional support animals has increased significantly. Landlords and people managing senior housing facilities ignore or flatly deny such requests at their own peril. For purposes of housing, these requests need to be treated very differently than if a resident seeks to bring a pet into... Read More

OIG Begins Investigation into Medicaid Managed Care Denials

The United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) recently announced that it is investigating denials by managed care organizations (“MCOs”) that contract with state Medicaid agencies. It its announcement, OIG recognized that the arrangement between MCOs and the State “shifts financial risk for the... Read More

UnitedHealthcare Withdraws as MCO

UnitedHealthcare provided notice today (Friday, March 29, 2019) that it is withdrawing from the Iowa MCO program. Please see the Iowa Department of Human Services press release link below for additional detail. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IACIO/bulletins/23a4114 Read More

New Rules for ARNPs from the Iowa Board of Nursing

Advanced registered nurse practitioners (“ARNPs”) will soon have new Iowa Board of Nursing (“the Board”) rules to comply with. The rules, ARC 4132C, have been adopted by the Board; however, they are currently undergoing the rulemaking process and are not yet finalized. ARC 4132C will replace the current rules found at 655 Iowa Administrative Code... Read More

The Struggle is Real: Collecting Payments for Nursing Home Care

In recent years, we have seen an increase in nursing homes struggling to obtain payment for care provided to residents. Certainly, Iowa’s elimination of the 90-day retroactivity for Medicaid coverage (which has now been reinstated for nursing home care) contributed to this to some extent, but the problem seems to occur more frequently than ever.... Read More

State Health Facilities Council Update - October 24, 2018

The State Health Facilities Council (the “Council”) met on October 24, 2018, and granted a certificate of need (“CON”) to each of the following projects: • The construction of a 40-bed rehabilitation hospital in Johnson County by Mercy Medical Center and Kindred Healthcare at a cost of $7,508,963. • The construction of a 40-bed rehabilitation... Read More