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This week's SHOUT OUT
Two advocates with disabilities came to the Capitol to speak against House File 3.
This was not a public hearing, it was a subcommittee meeting. Their comments helped explained why this bill is scary to many people who rely on Medicaid, family support, and food assistance to make ends meet each month.
Leslie Carpenter, a parent who lobbies on behalf of her son and others with brain illness, also talked about the very real problems the bill will cause for people like her son.
This week's Shout Out to them - and the many others who submitted comments or came to the Capitol to speak on the bill.
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New Bills from Week Three
You will be hearing more about "tort reform" this week. When someone harms you because they did something wrong or were careless, they have committed a "tort." Tort law allows victims to sue for the damage caused. They can get be compensated for both economic damages (doctor's bills, loss of wages) and non-economic damages (pain and suffering).
Health care providers have been complaining that their medical malpractice insurance is becoming unaffordable, mainly because of big jury awards for non-economic damages. They say specialists like doctors that deliver babies (OB/GYNs) do not want to stay in Iowa because the state does not put a limit on these non-economic damages.
House File 102 and Senate File 148 limit non-economic damages caused by a health care professional (medical errors) at $250,000, or $1 million if the injury results in death or permanent loss of bodily function. The House Health & Human Services Committee plans to vote on its bill today (Monday); the Senate plans to debate their bill sometime this week. This bill may be law by the end of the week.
There is another set of bills were introduced this week and flew through subcommittee. House Study Bill 76 and Senate Study Bill 1078 define the term "Brain Health" and states that the Legislature believes to reduce stigma, "brain health" can be used to mean mental illness, mental health, and behavioral health. No one really opposes this change. Some people are worried this may cause confusion since brain health is much broader and includes dementias, brain injuries from stroke, and other things not typically considered "mental illness." Both bills are ready for Health & Human Services Committee votes in the House and Senate.
Remember you can keep track of these and other bills of interest in the Bill Tracker. Bills are added daily (and the status is automatically updated as bills move through the legislative process).
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Watch the January Capitol Chat
You can watch our January 27 Capitol Chat here.
You can also sign up for our upcoming Chats:
Feb. 24, Mar. 31, Apr. 28
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Iowa legislators still take time out of their weekends home to go to public forums or town halls. It's their time to meet the people they represent, share what they are doing at the State Capitol, and hear what people think that work.
You can find these on our calendar, and you can download the list for the next two weeks here.
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infoNET is a disability policy newsletter of the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council and its network of Iowans with Disabilities in Action. | |
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This project is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $774,176 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government. | | | | |