6-12-2020 UPDATE :  This session could end very quickly. Reach out to you legislators as well.  Tell them that we need a telehealth bill that will at the very least require that telehealth services be reimbursed at 100% until 6-30-2021 (which would allow time for data gathering and for the legislature to then act on that data.

As of this writing, we are waiting for HF 2192 (the telehealth bill) to come up on the Senate floor.  It is not at this time (9:34 am) on the debate calendar for today (6-11-2020). (But we suspect this isn’t going to be how it’s going to get passed – others are working through the HHS budget) 

One new development and advocacy target: 

The CEOs of NASW, NAMI, Mental Health America, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Psychological Association sent a joint letter to all of the Governors asking them to sustain telehealth services beyond the COVID-19 National Emergency (which is what we have been asking the legislature to do)

Follow the link below for a copy of the letter:  

https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=d_HXct-60bA%3d&portalid=0

Governor Reynolds has been a great advocate for telehealth – that’s why we have been asking the legislature to simply make her proclamations on telehealth permanent.

ACTION ITEM: contact the Governor’s office to

1. Thank her for her excellent support of telehealth through her proclamations
2. Ask her to work with the Legislature to continue the tenants of her proclamations permanently

Register an opinion on-line:

https://iqconnect.lmhostediq.com/iqextranet/EForm.aspx?__cid=FSL_IA_GOV&__fid=100007

Call her office:

515-281-5211

Write a note:

Office of the Governor
Iowa State Capitol
1007 East Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319

Follow the NASW - Iowa Chapter Facebook page for rapid response updates.