Three health care measures introduced by state Rep. Ann Meyer, R-Fort Dodge, survived Thursday’s legislative deadline and are now eligible for future debate. Two of those bills would make it illegal for insurance companies to require their approval, sometimes called pre-authorization, before patients can receive certain kinds of treatment.
Pre-Authorization Restrictions
Meyer has introduced measures to address what she describes as insurance companies dictating treatment for patients. She noted that pre-authorization from an insurance company can take seven to 10 days to obtain. One measure would prohibit pre-authorization for a patient to be admitted to a sub-acute bed for mental health care. A second would prohibit insurance pre-authorization for any type of cancer screening, emergent procedure, or test.
According to Meyer, when pre-authorization cannot be obtained, a health care provider sometimes sends a patient through the emergency room to receive a test or screening, which increases health care costs. “That jacks up the price of health care,” she said. Both pre-authorization bills have passed the House Health and Human Services Committee and are now eligible for House floor debate.
Expanding Mental Health Capacity
A third bill introduced by Meyer would direct the state government to apply for a federal waiver to double the number of beds available in the state’s two mental health institutions in Cherokee and Mount Pleasant. If the bill is approved and the waiver is granted, an additional 92 beds would be available in the state’s mental health system. This measure has also been approved by the House Health and Human Services Committee.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.messengernews.net/news/local-news/2026/02/health-care-bills-from-meyer-clear-funnel/