Iowa 2025-2026 Regular Session

Iowa House Bill HF303 Latest Draft

Bill / Enrolled Version Filed 04/23/2025

                            House File 303 - Enrolled   House File 303   AN ACT   RELATING TO PRIOR AUTHORIZATION AND UTILIZATION REVIEW   ORGANIZATIONS.   BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:    Section 1. Section 514F.8, Code 2025, is amended by adding    the following new subsections:    NEW SUBSECTION   . 1A. a. A utilization review organization    shall provide a determination to a request for prior    authorization from a health care provider as follows:    (1) Within forty-eight hours after receipt for urgent    requests.    (2) Within ten calendar days after receipt for nonurgent    requests.    (3) Within fifteen calendar days after receipt for    nonurgent requests if there are complex or unique circumstances    or the utilization review organization is experiencing an    unusually high volume of prior authorization requests.    b. Within twenty-four hours after receipt of a prior    authorization request, the utilization review organization    shall notify the health care provider of, or make available to    the health care provider, a receipt for the request for prior    authorization.    c. A utilization review organization shall conduct an annual    review and submit the findings in a report to the commissioner    pursuant to the reporting procedures and deadlines established    by the commissioner. The commissioner shall publish, within

House File 303, p. 2   sixty calendar days of receipt, the report on a publicly    accessible internet site. The annual report shall include all    of the following:    (1) The total number of, and percentage of, urgent prior    authorization requests that the utilization review organization    approved, aggregated for all health care services and items.    (2) The total number of, and percentage of, urgent prior    authorization requests that the utilization review organization    denied, aggregated for all health care services or items.    (3) The total number of, and percentage of, nonurgent prior    authorization requests that the utilization review organization    approved, aggregated for all health care services or items.    (4) The total number of, and percentage of, nonurgent prior    authorization requests that the utilization review organization    denied, aggregated for all health care services or items.    (5) The total number of, and percentage of, nonurgent    prior authorization requests that were complex or involved    unique circumstances that the utilization review organization    approved, aggregated for all health care services or items.    (6) The average and median time that elapsed between the    submission of a prior authorization request and a determination    by the utilization review organization for the prior    authorization request, aggregated for all health care services    or items.    (7) The average and median time that elapsed between the    submission of an urgent prior authorization request and a    determination by the utilization review organization for the    urgent prior authorization request, aggregated for all health    care services or items.    (8) The average and median time that elapsed between the    submission of a nonurgent prior authorization request and a    determination by the utilization review organization for the    urgent prior authorization request, aggregated for all health    care services or items.      NEW SUBSECTION   . 2A. a. A utilization review organization    shall, at least annually, review all health care services for    which the health benefit plan requires prior authorization and    shall eliminate prior authorization requirements for health    care services for which prior authorization requests are

House File 303, p. 3   routinely approved with such frequency as to demonstrate that    the prior authorization requirement does not promote health    care quality, or reduce health care spending, to a degree    sufficient to justify the health benefit plans administrative    costs to require the prior authorization.    b. A utilization review organization shall submit an annual    report containing the findings of the review conducted under    paragraph a to the commissioner pursuant to the reporting    procedures and deadlines established by the commissioner. The    commission shall publish, within sixty days of receipt, the    report on a publicly accessible internet site. The annual    report shall include all of the following:    (1) The total number of prior authorizations the    utilization review organization evaluated as part of the annual    review.    (2) The number of prior authorizations the utilization    review organization eliminated as a result of the annual    review, and the reason for the elimination.    (3) A list of prior authorizations that had at least eighty    percent of requests approved in the previous twelve months for    a specific health care service covered by a health benefit    plan, but which prior authorizations were retained due to    medical or scientific evidence, as defined in section 514J.102,    that justified continuing such requirement.    (4) The total number of prior authorization requests    submitted in the previous twelve months for each eliminated    prior authorization, and the total number of health care    providers that submitted a request for prior authorization    in the previous twelve months for each eliminated prior    authorization requirement.    (5) For each health care service for which prior    authorization was eliminated under subparagraph (2), the report    shall include data regarding any increase or decrease of ten    percent or greater in the average number of claims submitted    per health care provider for that health care service compared    to the twelve months immediately preceding the elimination of    the prior authorization.    NEW SUBSECTION   . 3A. Complaints regarding a utilization    review organizations compliance with this chapter may be

House File 303, p. 4   directed to the insurance division. The insurance division    shall notify a utilization review organization of all    complaints regarding the utilization review organizations    noncompliance with this chapter. All complaints received    pursuant to this subsection shall not be considered public    records for purposes of chapter 22.    ______________________________   PAT GRASSLEY   Speaker of the House   ______________________________   AMY SINCLAIR   President of the Senate   I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and   is known as House File 303, Ninety-first General Assembly.   ______________________________   MEGHAN NELSON   Chief Clerk of the House   Approved _______________, 2025 ______________________________   KIM REYNOLDS   Governor