House
File
2356
-
Enrolled
House
File
2356
AN
ACT
RELATING
TO
AGREEMENTS
BETWEEN
INDIVIDUALS
AND
HEALTH
CARE
PROFESSIONALS
FOR
THE
PROVISION
OF
CERTAIN
PRIMARY
CARE
HEALTH
SERVICES
FOR
A
SERVICE
CHARGE
THAT
COVERS
AN
AGREED
UPON
PERIOD
OF
TIME.
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
Section
1.
NEW
SECTION
.
135N.1
Direct
primary
care
agreements.
1.
Definitions.
For
the
purpose
of
this
section:
a.
“Direct
patient”
means
an
individual,
or
an
individual
and
the
individual’s
immediate
family,
that
is
party
to
a
direct
primary
care
agreement.
b.
“Direct
patient’s
representative”
means
a
parent,
guardian,
or
an
individual
holding
a
durable
power
of
attorney
for
health
care
for
a
direct
patient.
c.
“Direct
primary
care
agreement”
means
an
agreement
between
a
direct
provider
and
a
direct
patient,
or
the
direct
patient’s
representative,
in
which
the
direct
provider
agrees
to
provide
primary
care
health
services
for
a
specified
period
of
time
to
the
direct
patient
for
a
direct
service
charge.
d.
“Direct
provider”
means
a
health
care
professional
House
File
2356,
p.
2
licensed,
accredited,
registered,
or
certified
to
perform
specified
primary
care
health
services
consistent
with
the
law
of
this
state.
“Direct
provider”
includes
an
individual
health
care
professional
or
other
legal
health
care
entity
alone
or
with
other
health
care
professionals
professionally
associated
with
the
individual
health
care
professional
or
other
legal
health
care
entity.
e.
“Direct
service
charge”
means
a
charge
for
primary
care
health
services
provided
by
a
direct
provider
to
a
direct
patient
covered
by
a
direct
primary
care
agreement.
“Direct
service
charge”
may
include
a
periodic
retainer,
a
membership
fee,
a
subscription
fee,
or
a
charge
in
any
other
form
paid
by
a
direct
patient
to
a
direct
provider
under
a
direct
primary
care
agreement.
f.
“Durable
power
of
attorney
for
health
care”
means
the
same
as
defined
in
section
144B.1.
g.
“Primary
care
health
services”
means
general
health
care
services
of
the
type
provided
at
the
time
a
patient
seeks
preventive
care
or
first
seeks
health
care
services
for
a
specific
health
concern.
“Primary
care
health
services”
include
all
of
the
following:
(1)
Care
which
promotes
and
maintains
mental
and
physical
health
and
wellness.
(2)
Care
which
prevents
disease.
(3)
Screening,
diagnosing,
and
treatment
of
acute
or
chronic
conditions
caused
by
disease,
injury,
or
illness.
(4)
Patient
counseling
and
education.
(5)
Provision
of
a
broad
spectrum
of
preventive
and
curative
health
care
over
a
period
of
time.
(6)
Coordination
of
care.
2.
Requirements
for
a
valid
direct
primary
care
agreement.
a.
In
order
to
be
a
valid
agreement,
a
direct
primary
care
agreement
must
meet
all
of
the
following
requirements:
(1)
Be
in
writing.
(2)
Be
signed
by
the
direct
provider,
or
an
agent
of
the
direct
provider,
and
the
direct
patient
or
the
direct
patient’s
representative.
(3)
Describe
the
scope
of
the
primary
care
health
services
covered
by
the
direct
primary
care
agreement.
House
File
2356,
p.
3
(4)
State
each
of
the
direct
provider’s
locations
where
a
direct
patient
may
obtain
primary
care
health
services
and
specify
any
out-of-office
primary
care
health
services
that
are
covered
under
the
direct
primary
care
agreement.
(5)
Specify
the
direct
service
charge
and
the
frequency
at
which
the
direct
service
charge
must
be
paid
by
the
direct
patient.
A
direct
patient
shall
not
be
required
to
pay
more
than
twelve
months
of
a
direct
service
charge
in
advance.
(6)
Specify
any
additional
costs
for
primary
care
health
services
not
covered
by
the
direct
service
charge
for
which
the
direct
patient
will
be
responsible.
(7)
Specify
the
duration
of
the
direct
primary
care
agreement,
whether
renewal
is
automatic,
and
if
required
the
procedure
for
renewal
of
the
direct
primary
care
agreement.
(8)
Specify
the
terms
and
conditions
under
which
the
direct
primary
care
agreement
may
be
terminated
by
the
direct
provider.
A
termination
of
the
direct
primary
care
agreement
by
the
direct
provider
shall
include
a
minimum
of
a
thirty-calendar-day
advance,
written
notice
to
the
direct
patient
or
to
the
direct
patient’s
representative.
(9)
Specify
that
the
direct
primary
care
agreement
may
be
terminated
at
any
time
by
the
direct
patient
upon
written
notice
to
the
direct
provider.
(10)
State
that
if
the
direct
primary
care
agreement
is
terminated
by
either
the
direct
patient
or
the
direct
provider
all
of
the
following
apply:
(a)
Within
thirty
calendar
days
of
the
date
of
the
notice
of
termination
from
either
party,
the
direct
provider
shall
refund
all
unearned
direct
service
charges
to
the
direct
patient.
(b)
Within
thirty
calendar
days
of
the
date
of
the
notice
of
termination
from
either
party,
the
direct
patient
shall
pay
all
outstanding
earned
direct
service
charges
to
the
direct
provider.
(11)
Include
a
notice
in
bold,
twelve-point
font
that
states
substantially
as
follows:
NOTICE.
This
direct
primary
care
agreement
is
not
health
insurance
and
is
not
a
plan
that
provides
health
coverage
for
purposes
of
any
federal
mandates.
This
direct
primary
care
agreement
only
covers
the
primary
care
health
services
House
File
2356,
p.
4
described
in
this
agreement.
It
is
recommended
that
you
obtain
health
insurance
to
cover
health
care
services
not
covered
under
this
direct
primary
care
agreement.
You
are
personally
responsible
for
the
payment
of
any
additional
health
care
expenses
you
may
incur.
b.
The
direct
provider
shall
provide
the
direct
patient,
or
the
direct
patient’s
representative,
with
a
fully
executed
copy
of
the
direct
primary
care
agreement
at
the
time
the
direct
primary
care
agreement
is
executed.
3.
Application
for
a
direct
primary
care
agreement.
If
a
direct
provider
requires
a
prospective
direct
patient
to
complete
an
application
for
a
direct
primary
care
agreement,
the
direct
provider
shall
provide
a
written
disclaimer
on
each
application
that
informs
the
prospective
direct
patient
of
the
direct
patient’s
financial
rights
and
responsibilities
and
that
states
that
the
direct
provider
will
not
bill
a
health
insurance
carrier
for
primary
care
health
services
covered
under
the
direct
primary
care
agreement.
The
disclaimer
shall
also
include
the
identical
notice
required
by
subsection
2,
paragraph
“a”
,
subparagraph
(11).
4.
Notice
required
for
changes
to
the
terms
or
conditions
of
a
direct
primary
care
agreement.
a.
A
direct
provider
shall
provide
at
least
a
sixty-calendar-day
advance,
written
notice
to
a
direct
patient
of
any
of
the
following
changes
to
a
direct
primary
care
agreement:
(1)
Any
change
in
the
scope
of
the
primary
care
health
services
covered
under
the
agreement.
(2)
Any
change
in
the
direct
provider’s
locations
where
the
direct
patient
may
access
primary
care
health
services.
(3)
Any
change
in
the
out-of-office
services
that
are
covered
under
the
direct
primary
care
service
agreement.
(4)
Any
change
in
the
direct
service
charge.
(5)
Any
change
in
the
additional
costs
for
primary
care
health
services
not
covered
by
the
direct
service
charge.
(6)
Any
change
in
the
renewal
terms.
(7)
Any
change
in
the
terms
to
terminate
the
agreement.
b.
A
direct
provider
shall
provide
the
notice
by
mailing
a
letter
to
the
address
of
the
direct
patient
that
the
direct
House
File
2356,
p.
5
provider
has
on
file.
The
postmark
date
on
the
letter
shall
be
the
first
day
of
the
required
sixty-calendar-day
notice
period.
5.
Discrimination
based
on
an
individual’s
health
status.
A
direct
provider
shall
not
refuse
to
accept
a
new
direct
patient
or
discontinue
care
of
an
existing
direct
patient
based
solely
on
the
new
direct
patient’s
or
the
existing
direct
patient’s
health
status.
6.
A
direct
primary
care
agreement
is
not
insurance.
a.
A
direct
primary
care
agreement
is
not
insurance
and
shall
not
be
subject
to
the
authority
of
the
commissioner
of
insurance.
Neither
a
direct
care
provider,
nor
an
agent
of
a
direct
care
provider,
shall
be
required
to
be
licensed
by
the
commissioner
to
transact
the
business
of
insurance
in
this
state
or
to
obtain
a
certificate
issued
by
the
commissioner
to
market
or
offer
a
direct
primary
care
agreement.
b.
A
direct
provider
shall
not
bill
an
insurer
for
a
service
provided
under
a
direct
primary
care
agreement.
A
direct
patient
may
submit
a
request
for
reimbursement
to
an
insurer
if
permitted
under
the
direct
patient’s
policy
of
insurance.
This
paragraph
does
not
prohibit
a
direct
provider
from
billing
a
direct
patient’s
insurance
for
a
service
provided
to
the
direct
patient
by
the
direct
provider
that
is
not
provided
under
the
direct
primary
care
agreement.
7.
Third-party
payment
of
a
direct
service
charge.
A
direct
provider
may
accept
payment
of
a
direct
service
charge
for
a
direct
patient
either
directly
or
indirectly
from
a
third
party.
A
direct
provider
may
accept
all
or
part
of
a
direct
service
charge
paid
by
an
employer
on
behalf
of
an
employee
who
is
a
direct
patient
of
the
direct
provider.
A
direct
provider
shall
not
enter
directly
into
an
agreement
with
an
employer
relating
to
a
direct
primary
care
agreement
between
the
direct
provider
and
employees
of
the
employer,
other
than
an
agreement
to
establish
the
timing
and
method
of
the
payment
of
a
direct
service
charge
paid
by
the
employer
on
behalf
of
the
employee.
8.
Sale
or
transfer
of
a
direct
primary
care
agreement.
A
direct
primary
care
agreement
shall
not
be
sold
or
transferred
by
a
direct
care
provider
without
the
prior
written
consent
of
the
direct
patient
who
is
a
party
to
the
direct
primary
care
agreement.
A
direct
patient
shall
not
sell
or
transfer
a
House
File
2356,
p.
6
direct
primary
care
agreement
to
which
the
direct
patient
is
a
party.
______________________________
LINDA
UPMEYER
Speaker
of
the
House
______________________________
CHARLES
SCHNEIDER
President
of
the
Senate
I
hereby
certify
that
this
bill
originated
in
the
House
and
is
known
as
House
File
2356,
Eighty-seventh
General
Assembly.
______________________________
CARMINE
BOAL
Chief
Clerk
of
the
House
Approved
_______________,
2018
______________________________
KIM
REYNOLDS
Governor