Reps. Hein, Meyer introduce bill to give Iowans the ‘right to try’

     Representatives Lee Hein (R-Monticello) and Ann Meyer (R-Fort Dodge) introduced a bill on the second day of the 2022 Legislative Session to expand Iowans’ access to care.

     House File 2010 is a bill aimed at giving Iowans on life support the “right to try” additional treatment options at their request. The bill removes liability from a hospital if an Iowan who has been placed on life support opts to try an experimental treatment for their illness. This will expand Iowans’ access to care.

     “This bill came about after hearing the story of a constituent of mine,” Hein explained. “Someone from my district reached out to me this past December to share their family’s experience of having an extremely hard time getting access to experimental treatment options after their loved on was placed on life support from COVID-19. The goal of this bill is to remove some of the barriers that make it harder for Iowans to access the care they want when faced with a life-threatening disease.”

     Meyer, a registered nurse, provided a hospital perspective while working on this legislation with Rep. Hein.

     “From the healthcare provider’s perspective, many are very hesitant to use experimental treatments because if anything were to go wrong, it would leave them subject to possible lawsuits,” said Meyer. “Even if the patient is saying they want to take the risk, it may not be worth the risk for the hospital. This bill helps remove that barrier so that more Iowans can access the care they want in the most desperate of situations.”

     HF 2010 was one of the first bills read on the House Floor for the 2022 Legislative Session.