Iowa doctors seeking to rule out cancer no longer need prior authorization from health insurers under a bill Gov. Kim Reynolds signed Tuesday. The law removes an approval step patients often faced before receiving cancer screenings.
Iowa has one of the highest cancer rates in the U.S. Supporters of the bill said insurance denials and review delays left some patients waiting for tests when time mattered most.
State Rep. Austin Harris, a Republican from Appanoose County, said prior authorizations sometimes took several weeks before insurers approved or denied care. The new law bars that requirement for cancer screenings, which should move patients into testing faster.
The measure also sets deadlines for insurers to communicate with hospitals about patient claims. Reynolds said firm timelines for notifications, decisions, and appeals will require insurers to give clear clinical explanations when they deny care.
For providers, the change shifts time away from paperwork fights and back toward patients. Less red tape, more medicine – that is the argument behind the law.
The bill also regulates how health insurers use artificial intelligence when deciding whether to approve or deny claims. Iowa Hospital Association board chair Shelly Russell said lawmakers wanted to prevent insurers from relying only on AI for denials.
Russell said the law requires a human role in the decision. According to her, insurers shouldn’t deny care based solely on automated review, especially when a patient’s treatment or diagnosis sits on the line.
