Iowans for Affordable Healthcare

06/05/2026

Iowa recently announced more than $78 million in rural healthcare transformation funding to support hospitals and providers across the state. Investments in rural care can help improve access and reduce long-term healthcare costs. https://governor.iowa.gov/press-release/2026-01-30/iowa-first-nation-award-rural-health-transformation-program-funding?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

State announces intent to award $78.6M in federal funds that support Iowa’s Healthy Hometowns Project.

06/01/2026

Don't forget to vote in tomorrow's primary election! Lets get candidates that will work to lower healthcare cost for Iowans. Look up your polling place below. https://apps.sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterreg/pollingplace/search.aspx.

05/25/2026

Today we remember the heroes who gave their lives in service to our country. We honor their sacrifice and hold their families in our thoughts this Memorial Day.

05/20/2026

Market consolidation in health care has significant economic consequences. With more than 1,300 hospital mergers since 2000, many markets now lack meaningful competition. This increased market power allows hospitals to negotiate higher prices, costs that are ultimately passed on to employers and consumers through premiums. Addressing consolidation is critical to controlling long-term health care spending. . (Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios)

05/15/2026

Two more rural clinics just closed in Iowa. Rural Iowa has faced provider shortages, hospital and clinic closures, and a lack of access to care close to home for years. The state just landed a $200M Rural Health Transformation Fund. We’re counting on state leaders to use these funds wisely and advance policies and programs that expand rural health care access before gaps grow wider. https://www.kcrg.com/2026/05/13/river-hills-community-health-center-announces-closure-centerville-clinic/.

River Hills Community Health Center announced Tuesday it will close its Centerville clinic this summer, the second rural Iowa clinic the organization has shut down in recent weeks.

05/11/2026

Waste, fraud and abuse in our healthcare arbitration system: this issue deserves a second post. As reported in national news outlets, some providers are getting payments 600X the normal rate on arbitration cases by misusing the No Surprises Act. The No Surprises Act DID protect patients from surprise bills. But it also created a new problem: a surge in arbitration disputes from doctors' offices that is driving up costs behind the scenes. Legislators estimated around 17,000 cases would go to arbitration; in reality, over 1.2M cases went to arbitration! One such physician who uses this process to his benefit flouted his lavish lifestyle online, posting about the rapper 50 Cent performing at his birthday party, which also featured a reproduction Porsche cake. How much of these windfalls are being passed on to premium payers in Iowa? Good policy can still have unintended consequences—and now it’s time to fix what’s not working to lower healthcare costs!

05/10/2026

Happy Mother's Day!

05/07/2026

A law meant to stop surprise medical bills is driving arbitration payouts to physicians FAR above standard insurer rates, according to a recent The New York Times report. In one case, arbitration paid a medical practice $333,000 for a brain blood-flow test normally reimbursed at $2,660. Doctors brought 1.2 million such cases in the first half of 2025, and won ~88% of them. Lawmakers: protect consumers from this clear misuse of the policy.

[paywall]: www.nytimes.com/2026/04/22/us/politics/doctors-insurers-arbitration.html

05/05/2026

Celebrate safely!

05/04/2026

💊 Prescription drug costs are rising, and Iowans are feeling it. Even though Iowa ranks well nationally for healthcare overall, too many families are still struggling to afford the medications they need.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

We’re calling for:
✔ Lower prescription drug prices
✔ More accountability from drug companies
✔ Policies that put patients first

No one should have to skip medication because of cost.