Hunter
03/25/26
A bill allowing medical practitioners and health care organizations to refuse to participate in or pay for a health care service that goes against their conscience or religious beliefs is heading to Governor Kim Reynolds’ desk.
Iowa Capital Dispatch reports as passed, the bill would allow medical professionals and providers like hospitals and clinics the right to refuse services that go against their conscience, with exceptions made for emergency medical services. These entities could not be held civilly, criminally or administratively liable for not providing or paying for a service, if the denial is based on the practitioner or organization’s “ethical, moral or religious beliefs or principles.”
Representative Bill Gustoff of Des Moines claims the bill is a way to help address Iowa’s health care worker shortage, and claims nine out of ten medical professionals would rather give up their careers than to violate their ethical, moral or religious beliefs.
Amendments were added to remove language involving health insurance providers from the bill and requiring medical practitioners to notify their employers of the nature of their objections based on conscience when they decide not to provide a health care service.