Relating to the cardiac health of children, and providing for licensee discipline and civil penalties

“Nonpublic school” and “public school” are also defined in the bill. The bill requires that by October 1, 2024, the department of health and human services (HHS) in collaboration with the department of education (DE) take certain actions relating to child cardiac health. The departments are required to develop a child cardiac health evaluation form that incorporates the questions that evaluate a child’s family history related to cardiac conditions contained in the Iowa preparticipation physical evaluation form; the questions included in the American heart association’s point screening for heart disease in the young; questions regarding the biologic heart health history of the child including the history of any biological parent; and the four questions recommended by the American academy of pediatrics to identify children who may be at risk for sudden cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death. The departments are also required to develop a childhood cardiac screening professional development training module (module) for providers and a child cardiac health education pamphlet to be included in the module. The pamphlet must also be distributed to public and nonpublic schools for further distribution to students and parents or guardians of students. The bill requires that beginning January 1, 2025, a provider who performs an annual well-child visit examination of a child years of age or younger to include as part of that examination completion of the child cardiac health evaluation form; requires a provider who performs an annual well-child visit examination or an Iowa preparticipation physical evaluation (athlete physical) of a child years of age or younger to complete the module; requires a provider who is under contract with a public school or nonpublic school to provide medical care to children years of age or younger to complete and to provide a signed certificate attesting to completion of the module as part of the contract; and requires a provider who completes the required module to retain the signed original of the certificate of completion and to make a copy of the certificate available to the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing (DIAL) upon request. The bill also provides that beginning July 1, 2025, the license of a provider who performs annual well-child visit examinations or athlete physicals of children years of age or younger shall not be issued or renewed unless the provider completes and attests to completion of the module. The bill requires a provider who performs annual well-child visit examinations for children years of age or younger, including the required completion of the child cardiac health evaluation form, to annually report to DIAL the number of examinations performed and the number of children referred to a cardiologist. DIAL is required to maintain the data for years following each annual report, to report annually to the governor and the general assembly on the outcomes of the requirements of the bill, and to post the annual report on the department’s internet site. The bill provides that a provider required to complete the module who fails to produce a certificate of completion upon request by DIAL is subject to a civil penalty established by DIAL by rule. A provider required to complete the module who fails to do so is also subject to professional discipline. Additionally, a provider shall not be eligible as an enrolled Medicaid provider and entitled to reimbursement for completion of a well-child visit examination or an athlete physical unless the provider has completed the required module. The bill also includes child cardiac health policies in Code chapter 280 (uniform school requirements). The bill requires DE, in consultation with HHS, to ensure that the Iowa preparticipation physical evaluation form be expanded to include certain child cardiac health information and be made available to all public and nonpublic schools. The additional required information is detailed in the bill. The bill requires that beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, and in each subsequent school year, prior to participating, all students enrolled in kindergarten through grade who participate in interscholastic activities or intramural activities, as defined in the bill, shall complete and present to the superintendent of the public school district or the authorities in charge of the nonpublic school the completed Iowa preparticipation physical evaluation form; that each public school and nonpublic school distribute the child cardiac health education pamphlet to each student and to each student’s parent or guardian who completes the evaluation form; and that a provider who performs an athlete physical complete the certificate included in the evaluation form attesting to completion of the module and provide a copy of the signed certificate to the student’s school district or accredited nonpublic school. The school district or the accredited nonpublic school must retain the copy of the signed certificate and the provider must retain the original.