Below is the relevant legislation related to parity that has been introduced during the current or recently adjourned legislative session. State parity legislation passed in any state since 2008 is usually designed to increase compliance with the federal law and to strengthen state laws.

Are we missing any passed or introduced legislation? Let us know at info@paritytrack.org.

Introduced Legislation

Regular Session Convened 1/14/2019
Will adjourn 4/20/2020
Governor's Deadline 6/3/2019

2019-2020

Primary Focus Medical Management Limitation; Medicaid
Title/Description A bill to prohibit prior authorization for MAT under Medicaid
Citation SF 395
Introduced 2/27/2019
Sponsor Sen. Ragen (D)
Status Pending
Summary Among other things, this bill prohibits prior authorization for MAT under Medicaid FFS and Managed Care programs.

Primary Focus Medical Management Limitation; Medicaid
Title/Description A bill to prohibit prior authorization for MAT under Medicaid
Citation SF 122
Introduced 1/28/2019
Sponsor Sen. Petersen (D)
Status Pending
Summary This bill prohibits prior authorization for MAT under Medicaid FFS and Managed Care programs.

Primary Focus Mandated Benefits: Other
Title/Description A bill for an act relating to third-party payment of coverage benefits for mental health and disability regional core services
Citation HF 543
Introduced 2/27/2019
Sponsor Rep. Mascher (R)
Status Pending
Summary

This bill requires health insurance plans and policies to provide coverage for mental health and disability regional core services. Such coverage should be provided with equitable quantitative and nonquantitative treatment limitations.

Primary Focus Medical Management Limitation; Medicaid
Title/Description A bill for an act relating to prior authorization for medication-assisted treatment under the Medicaid program
Citation HB 623
Introduced 3/5/2019
Sponsor Rep. Meyer (R)
Status Signed by the Governor 5/1/2019
Summary

This bill requires that the state Medicaid fee-for-service and managed care programs offer at least one form of MAT without prior authorization.

2015-2016

SF 2254
Introduced 2/2016
Sponsor Sen. Schoenjahn
Status Dead 3/2016
Summary
This bill added a section to the state insurance law that required health plans provide coverage to individuals under 22 for the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of autism. The bill contained the following provisions:
  • It set a $36,000 annual maximum for applied behavior analysis for the treatment of autism
  • It does not allow health plans to have any limits on the number of treatment visits
  • Health plans are not allowed to have dollar limits, deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance provisions for autism treatment that are less favorable than the dollar limits, deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance for physical illnesses This bill is the same as HF 2112/SF 2072 from the same legislative session.
HF 2112
Introduced 1/2016
Sponsor Rep. Jorgensen & Sen. Dvorsky
Status Dead 2/2016
Summary
This bill added a section to the state insurance law that required health plans provide coverage to individuals under 22 for the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of autism. The bill contained the following provisions:
  • It set a $36,000 annual maximum for applied behavior analysis for the treatment of autism
  • It does not allow health plans to have any limits on the number of treatment visits
  • Health plans are not allowed to have dollar limits, deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance provisions for autism treatment that are less favorable than the dollar limits, deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance for physical illnesses This bill is the same as SF 2254 from the same legislative session.
SF 2204
Introduced 1/2016
Sponsor Sen. McCoy
Status Dead 1/2016
Summary

This bill added a section to the state insurance law that required health plans provide treatment for eating disorders. The bill requires that the treatment be subject to deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance or other limitations to the same extent as other health services.

SF 317
Introduced 2/2015
Sponsor Rep. Dawson
Status Dead 2/2015
Summary

This bill intended to require that all individual and group health plans and Medicaid eliminate a prerequisite for a face-to-face contact between a mental health professional and a patient before paying for telehealth treatment.

2013-2014

HF 2031
Introduced 1/2014
Sponsor Many Sponsors (sponsors listed at top of bill)
Status Dead 2/2104
Summary

This bill tried to change the section of the state insurance law about autism coverage so that a certified assistant behavior analyst under the supervision of a certified behavior analyst would qualify as an “autism service provider.”

2011-2012

SF 2128
Introduced 2/2012
Sponsor Sen. Beall
Status Dead 3/2012
Summary
This bill added a section to the state insurance law that required health plans provide coverage to individuals under 26 for the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of autism. The bill also contained the following provisions:
HF 93
Introduced 1/2011
Sponsor Many Sponsors (sponsors listed at top of bill)
Summary
This bill tried to change the state insurance law by repealing the current parity section of the law and adding a new section about parity. Here’s how this bill was different than what is currently in the law:

This bill also tried to create a “mental health insurance advisory committee” that would include many different stakeholder groups.

HF 265
Introduced 02/2011
Sponsor Rep. Schulte
Status Dead 12/2011
Summary

This bill tried to change the state insurance law so that individual plans, small employer fully-insured plans, and large employer fully-insured plans would have to cover behavioral health services performed by marital and family therapists and mental health counselors.

SF 64
Introduced 1/2011
Sponsor Sen. Beall
Status Dead 1/2012
Summary
This bill tried to repeal the current section of the insurance law about autism coverage and add a new section. This is nearly identical to what is currently in the law except for a few significant differences. This bill is different in that it:

2009-2010

SF 16
Introduced 1/2009
Sponsor Sen. Jochum
Status Dead 1/2010
Summary
This bill tried to change the state insurance law by repealing the current parity section of the law and adding a new section about parity. Here’s how this bill was different than what is currently in the law:

This bill also tried to create a “mental health insurance advisory committee” that would include many different stakeholder groups.

SF 418
Introduced 3/2009
Sponsor Committee on Human Resources
Status Dead 1/2010
Summary
This bill tried to change the state insurance law by repealing the current parity section of the law and adding a new section about parity. Here’s how this bill was different than what is currently in the law:

This bill also tried to create a “mental health insurance advisory committee” that would include many different stakeholder groups.

HF 139
Introduced 1/2009
Sponsor Committee on Human Resources
Status Dead 1/2010
Summary
This bill tried to change the state insurance law by repealing the current parity section of the law and adding a new section about parity. Here’s how this bill was different than what is currently in the law:
HF 234
Introduced 2/2009
Sponsor Committee on Human Resources
Summary
This bill tried to change the state insurance law by repealing the current parity section of the law and adding a new section about parity. Here’s how this bill was different than what is currently in the law:
HF 68
Introduced 1/2009
Sponsor Rep. Zirkelbach
Status Dead 1/2010
Summary
This bill tried to change the state insurance law by adding a section about behavioral health coverage for veterans. SF 2201 from the same legislative session has an identical section in it and was signed into law in 2010. This section of the law is summarized at the bottom of this page under “Iowa Parity Law”.

 

SF 1
Introduced 1/2009
Sponsor Rep. Zirkelbach and Sen. Beall
Status Dead 1/2010
Summary
 This bill tried to add a section to the insurance law about autism coverage. This is nearly identical to what is currently in the law except for a few significant differences. This bill is different in that it:
SF 2349
Introduced 1/2009
Sponsor Committee on Commerce
Status Dead 1/2010
Summary

This bill tried to add a section to the insurance law about autism coverage. This is nearly identical to what is currently in the law except this bill lists and defines a behavior specialist and qualifications for a behavior specialist.

HF 2346
Introduced 2/2010
Sponsor Rep. Heaton
Status Dead 2/2010
Summary
This bill tried to add a section to the insurance law about autism coverage. This is nearly identical to what is currently in the law except for a few significant differences. This bill is different in that it:
  • Applies to individual plans, small employer fully-insured plans and large employer fully-insured plans
  • Includes Rett’s disorder and childhood disintegrative disorder as specifically-covered conditions
  • Requires a $72,000 annual maximum for applied behavior analysis

The validity of a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder cannot be reviewed once a year

National Parity Map

View the state parity reports to learn about legislation, regulation, and litigation related to parity implementation

National Parity Map

Get Support

Common Violations

In seeking care or services, be aware of the common ways parity rights can be violated.