With the 2026 election quickly approaching, long-term care providers can play a significant role in helping residents exercise their right to vote. Every election, seniors and other residents have a right to make their voices heard, and providers should make every effort to help them in doing so, including completing prior research, providing resources and assisting residents in following federal regulations, registering to vote and voting at the polls or via mail-in ballot.
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Legislative success rarely happens during the final weeks of session. More often, it begins months or even years earlier through conversations between providers and policymakers. As preparations begin for the 2027 rebase year, IHCA will continue creating opportunities for members to engage with policymakers and tell the story of long-term care in Iowa.
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IHCA's advocacy isn't measured only by the bills that pass – it's also reflected in the harmful legislation that never becomes law. Since 2020, the association has helped defeat more than two dozen proposals that would have increased costs, added regulatory burdens or reduced provider flexibility, including several key measures during the 2026 legislative session. Learn how these efforts protect providers and why member engagement will be critical as lawmakers begin shaping 2027 priorities.
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After years of advocacy, IHCA secured the largest single-year non-provider tax Medicaid funding increase for skilled nursing facilities in recent history. Now, another rebase year is approaching. As Iowa enters the 2027 legislative session, competition for state resources will be intense. Providers will once again need a strong, unified voice to educate lawmakers about the importance of sustainable Medicaid funding. The groundwork for 2027 starts now. As competition for state resources intensifies, member engagement will be essential to protecting and advancing the gains we've made. Whether you're interested in hosting a legislator visit at your facility, supporting the Iowa Health PAC or learning more about IHCA's advocacy successes, now is the time to get involved.
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IHCA’s 2026 legislative advocacy delivered significant results for Iowa long-term care providers, including Certified Medication Aide (CMA) reform, over $8 million in Elderly Waiver funding, preservation of key reimbursement protections and a substantial reduction in the impact of proposed property tax increases. Additional wins included addressing managed care claims issues and preventing burdensome legislation from advancing. View the full 2026 Legislative Outcomes Report for a comprehensive overview of the association’s advocacy efforts and legislative achievements during the 2026 session.
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IHCA encourages members to attend upcoming legislative town halls as a practical way to support grassroots advocacy and connect directly with elected officials. These local forums provide an opportunity to share real-world perspective on how legislation impacts long-term care and reinforce IHCA’s 2026 priorities. Upcoming events include town halls and legislative forums in Iowa City, Eldridge, Glidden and more.
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House File 2680 is workforce‑focused legislation enacted by the Iowa General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Reynolds on April 16, 2026, that significantly changes how certified medication aides (CMAs) are credentialed, recognized and regulated across Iowa health care settings. The bill is designed to remove unnecessary barriers to certification, expand the available labor pool and create regulatory consistency across facility types where CMAs are valuable workforce contributors, such as nursing homes, assisted living programs, residential care facilities and intermediate care settings.
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On April 9, 2026, Gov. Reynolds signed Senate File 572 into law. The new statute prohibits the issuance or renewal of a health care facility license for any entity owned or controlled — directly or indirectly — by the governments of China, Russia or North Korea, or by citizens or instrumentalities of those countries. Following rule-making, additional guidance will be shared on enforcement procedures and potential implications for noncompliance. Providers should remain alert for updates as the process moves forward.
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IHCA encourages members to attend upcoming legislative town halls as a practical way to support grassroots advocacy and connect directly with elected officials. These local forums provide an opportunity to share real-world perspective on how legislation impacts long-term care and reinforce IHCA’s 2026 priorities. Upcoming events include town halls and legislative forums in Ankeny, Iowa City, Eldridge and more.
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IHCA encourages members to attend upcoming legislative town halls as a practical way to support grassroots advocacy and connect directly with elected officials. These local forums provide an opportunity to share real-world perspective on how legislation impacts long-term care and reinforce IHCA’s 2026 priorities. Upcoming events include town halls and legislative forums in Ankeny, Montrose, Eldridge and more.
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IHCA reports that HF 2680 – one of its top 2026 priorities – has passed the legislature and would streamline certified medication aide (CMA) requirements while creating a statewide online registry to help providers verify credentials and reduce fraud. In addition, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has released a proposed SNF Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) model that ties a portion of Medicaid reimbursement to quality performance, though it would be implemented as an add-on and still requires federal approval and legislative funding. IHCA is continuing to review the proposal and will keep members updated on next steps.
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IHCA encourages members to attend upcoming legislative town halls as a practical way to support grassroots advocacy and connect directly with elected officials. These local forums provide an opportunity to share real-world perspective on how legislation impacts long-term care and reinforce IHCA’s 2026 priorities. Upcoming events include town halls and legislative forums in Ankeny, Waterloo, Malvern, Council Bluffs and more.
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IHCA encourages members to attend upcoming legislative town halls as a practical way to support grassroots advocacy and connect directly with elected officials. These local forums provide an opportunity to share real-world perspective on how legislation impacts long-term care and reinforce IHCA’s 2026 priorities. Upcoming events include town halls and legislative forums in Ankeny, Altoona, Eldridge, Dubuque and more.
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IHCA encourages members to attend upcoming legislative town halls as a practical way to support grassroots advocacy and connect directly with elected officials. These local forums provide an opportunity to share real-world perspective on how legislation impacts long-term care and reinforce IHCA’s 2026 priorities. Upcoming events include town halls and legislative forums in Ankeny, Waterloo, Eldridge, Oskaloosa, Iowa City and more.
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On Thursday, March 12, IHCA held its monthly Home Care Provider Update Call to discuss important developments in home health and home care. Conversation covered the OASIS E-2 system, changes to patient care measures and surveys, key bills moving through state legislature, Spring Conference announcements and medication error reporting and denials.
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IHCA encourages members to attend upcoming legislative town halls as a practical way to support grassroots advocacy and connect directly with elected officials. These local forums provide an opportunity to share real-world perspective on how legislation impacts long-term care and reinforce IHCA’s 2026 priorities. Upcoming events include town halls and legislative forums in Ankeny, Iowa City, Eldridge, Newton, Hiawatha, Harlan and Clarinda.
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More than 50 long-term care leaders gathered at the Iowa Capitol last week for IHCA Day on the Hill, presented by Martin Bros. Distributing Co., Inc., to meet with legislators and advocate for the profession. Members shared how policy decisions impact residents, staff and communities while highlighting IHCA’s 2026 priorities, including workforce solutions, home- and community-based services and sustainable funding for long-term care. The event provided an important opportunity for policymakers to hear directly from providers delivering care across Iowa.
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IHCA encourages members to attend upcoming legislative town halls as a practical way to support grassroots advocacy and connect directly with elected officials. These local forums provide an opportunity to share real-world perspective on how legislation impacts long-term care and reinforce IHCA’s 2026 priorities. Upcoming events include town halls and legislative forums in Burlington, Ankeny, Montrose, Iowa City, Waterloo, Eldridge, Council Bluffs, Denison, Cedar Rapids and Urbandale.
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IHCA encourages members to attend upcoming legislative town halls as a practical way to support grassroots advocacy and connect directly with elected officials. These local forums provide an opportunity to share real-world perspective on how legislation impacts long-term care and reinforce IHCA’s 2026 priorities. Upcoming events include town halls and legislative forums in Ankeny, Red Oak, Glenwood, Eldridge and Dubuque.
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Several key bills affecting long-term care providers and IHCA members have advanced in the 2026 Iowa legislative session, including measures related to Medicaid elderly waiver services, certified medication aides, claims payment and audits, guardianship, property tax, Certificate of Need and rural access. These proposals could impact operations, workforce capacity, reimbursement and access to care across skilled nursing, assisted living and other care settings. IHCA continues to monitor and engage with lawmakers to support policies that strengthen the workforce, improve provider sustainability and ensure high-quality care for Iowans.
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IHCA’s Day on the Hill on March 4 will bring long-term care leaders to the Iowa Capitol to meet directly with legislators and share how policy decisions impact residents, tenants, patients, staff and communities across Iowa. This event, sponsored by Martin Bros. Distributing Co., Inc., plays a key role in advancing IHCA’s advocacy priorities during the legislative session. Please RSVP by this Friday, Feb. 27, to secure your spot.
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IHCA encourages members to attend upcoming legislative town halls as a practical way to support grassroots advocacy and connect directly with elected officials. These local forums provide an opportunity to share real-world perspective on how legislation impacts long-term care and reinforce IHCA’s 2026 priorities. Upcoming events include town halls and legislative forums in Waterloo, Iowa City, Eldridge, Council Bluffs, Wilton, Oskaloosa, Coralville, Bettendorf, Urbandale, DeWitt, Marion and Ankeny.
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IHCA’s Day on the Hill on March 4 will bring long-term care leaders to the Iowa Capitol to meet directly with legislators and share how policy decisions impact residents, tenants, patients, staff and communities across Iowa. This event, sponsored by Martin Bros. Distributing Co., Inc., plays a key role in advancing IHCA’s advocacy priorities during the legislative session. Members are encouraged to RSVP by Feb. 27 and review IHCA’s 2026 Legislative + Policy Agenda in advance.
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IHCA encourages members to attend upcoming legislative town halls as a practical way to support grassroots advocacy and connect directly with elected officials. These local forums provide an opportunity to share real-world perspective on how legislation impacts long-term care and reinforce IHCA’s 2026 priorities. Upcoming events include town halls and legislative forums in Winterset, Ankeny, Murray, Webster City, Fairfield, Spencer, Fredericksburg, Newton, Eldridge, Cedar Rapids, Harlan, Allison, Dubuque, Waterloo and Iowa City.
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IHCA’s Day on the Hill on March 4 will bring long-term care leaders to the Iowa Capitol to meet directly with legislators and share how policy decisions impact residents, tenants, patients, staff and communities across Iowa. This event, sponsored by Martin Bros. Distributing Co., Inc., plays a key role in advancing IHCA’s advocacy priorities during the legislative session. Members are encouraged to RSVP by Feb. 27 and review IHCA’s 2026 Legislative + Policy Agenda in advance.
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IHCA encourages members to attend upcoming legislative town halls as a practical way to support grassroots advocacy and connect directly with elected officials. These local forums provide an opportunity to share real-world perspective on how legislation impacts long-term care and reinforce IHCA’s 2026 priorities. Upcoming events include town halls and legislative forums in Ankeny, Forest City, Waterloo, Roland, Denver, Algona, Denison, Davenport and Parkersburg.
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IHCA’s Day on the Hill on March 4 will bring long-term care leaders to the Iowa Capitol to meet directly with legislators and share how policy decisions impact residents, tenants, patients, staff and communities across Iowa. This event, sponsored by Martin Bros. Distributing Co., Inc., plays a key role in advancing IHCA’s advocacy priorities during the legislative session. Members are encouraged to RSVP by Feb. 27 and review IHCA’s 2026 Legislative + Policy Agenda in advance.
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IHCA encourages members to attend upcoming legislative town halls as a practical way to support grassroots advocacy and connect directly with elected officials. These local forums provide an opportunity to share real-world perspective on how legislation impacts long-term care and reinforce IHCA’s 2026 priorities. Upcoming events include town halls and legislative forums in Ankeny, Sumner, Emmetsburg, Ida Grove, Dubuque, Storm Lake and Nashua.
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IHCA encourages members to attend upcoming legislative town halls as a practical way to support grassroots advocacy and connect directly with elected officials. These local forums provide an opportunity to share real-world perspective on how legislation impacts long-term care and reinforce IHCA’s 2026 priorities. Upcoming events include town halls in Glenwood, Greene, Spencer, Urbandale, New Hampton and Des Moines.
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The 2026 Iowa legislative session is underway, and IHCA is advocating at the Capitol for policies that support long-term care providers across the state. IHCA’s priorities include strengthening the CNA and CMA workforce pipeline, improving access to care through a more sustainable Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Elderly Waiver and securing funding to support critical long-term care services. To connect directly with legislators on these issues, mark your calendar for IHCA Day on the Hill, happening March 4, 2026.
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