Iowa Archives

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Iowa Doesn’t Have Enough OB-GYNs. The State’s Abortion Ban Might Be Making It Worse.

Abortion bans like Iowa’s have put OB-GYNs under increasing strain and surveillance, complicating the standard medical treatments for miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, premature membrane rupture, and other pregnancy problems. As many rural areas face worsening maternity care deserts, some physicians fear these laws could drive much-needed doctors out of state and dissuade others from moving in and establishing a practice.

By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio

Jan. 5, 2026

A young child in a wheelchair plays in a sidewalk with his mother to his left and his father to his right.

Disability Rights Lawyers Threatened With Budget Cuts, Reassignments

The Trump administration wants deep funding cuts for state-based legal services for disabled people, as rights advocates say the Justice Department pushed out many of its lawyers who worked on such issues.

By Tony Leys

Dec. 16, 2025

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Rural Health Payout

Feds Promised ‘Radical Transparency’ but Are Withholding Rural Health Fund Applications

Proposals from states that have shared their applications to a new $50 billion rural health program include using drones to deliver medication, installing refrigerators to expand access to healthy produce, and bringing telehealth to libraries, day cares, and senior centers.

By Sarah Jane Tribble and Arielle Zionts

Dec. 2, 2025

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Private Medicare, Medicaid Plans Exaggerate In-Network Mental Health Options, Watchdogs Say

A federal probe of Medicare and Medicaid plans run by private insurance companies found that the plan operators often overstated how many mental health providers were available in their networks. In some cases, investigators found providers had never had contracts with plans they were listed on.

By Tony Leys

Oct. 20, 2025

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Dead Zone

Trump Called Digital Equity Act ‘Racist.’ Now Internet Money for Rural Americans Is Gone.

President Donald Trump called the Digital Equity Act unconstitutional, racist, and illegal. Then the $2.75 billion program for rural and underserved communities to gain internet access disappeared.

By Sarah Jane Tribble

Oct. 10, 2025

A man in a blue tshirt lays on a chiropractor bed while a man seated near his head cups either side of his face, bending his neck

Congress Looks To Ease Restrictions on Veterans’ Use of Non-VA Clinics and Hospitals

Veterans often face hurdles when they want the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay for care from clinics and hospitals outside the federal system. A bill in Congress, coupled with a major funding request from the Trump administration, could help clear the path for many rural veterans.

By Tony Leys

Aug. 6, 2025

A photo of a train station as commuters and pedestrians walk hurriedly around the frame. Their forms are blurred as they are in motion.

New Medicaid Federal Work Requirements Mean Less Leeway for States

More than a dozen states are seeking their own versions of Medicaid work requirements. But the incoming federal standards pose questions around how much leeway states have to design their rules.

By Katheryn Houghton and Bram Sable-Smith

Aug. 5, 2025

A photo of a medical professional giving a young boy a measles vaccine.

Tribal Health Officials Work To Fill Vaccination Gaps as Measles Outbreak Spreads

Native American tribes and health organizations are hosting clinics and calling patients to counteract low measles vaccination rates and limited access to health care as the disease spreads across the country.

By Arielle Zionts

July 24, 2025

A photo of a Black woman posing for a portrait in the produce section of her grocery store. A sign behind her bears the store's name: A Better Way Grocers.

Cuts to Food Benefits Stand in the Way of RFK Jr.’s Goals for a Healthier National Diet

The Trump administration has said improving American nutrition is a priority, but deep cuts to federal food assistance could lead people to forgo healthy food in favor of cheaper alternatives.

By Renuka Rayasam

July 22, 2025

An illustration drawn in pen and ink and colored lightly with watercolor shows a crowd of doctors gathering around an airline gate for a flight to Canada. The doctor in the center looks back at the viewer with an expression that shows concern and remorse.

American Doctors Are Moving to Canada To Escape the Trump Administration

Canada has seen a surge of American doctors seeking to move north in the months since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

By Brett Kelman

May 30, 2025

A photo of a hospital exterior with a neon green sign in front of it that reads, "Spencer Hospital, healthier together."

Medicaid Payments Barely Keep Hospital Mental Health Units Afloat. Federal Cuts Could Sink Them.

Patients seeking mental health care are more likely to be on Medicaid than patients in more profitable areas of care, such as cancer or cardiac treatment.

By Tony Leys

May 12, 2025

A photo of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receiving a tour of a food distribution center. Shelves behind him show crates filled with orange bell peppers.

Meet the Florida Group Chipping Away at Public Benefits One State at a Time

The Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” platform has boosted the agenda of a conservative think tank that’s been working for more than a decade to reshape the nation’s public assistance programs.

By Katheryn Houghton and Samantha Liss

May 8, 2025

A photo of food bank attendees picking up loaves of bread, half-gallons of milk, and bags of produce.

Federal Cuts Gut Food Banks as They Face Record Demand

Food banks nationwide are being pinched by record demand, high food prices, and hundreds of millions of dollars in federal budget cuts. As the economy plods onto shaky ground, food bank leaders hope Congress patches the holes by passing a new farm bill.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

May 1, 2025

A photo of the exterior of Keokuk County Hospital.

Covid Worsened Shortages of Doctors and Nurses. Five Years On, Rural Hospitals Still Struggle.

The U.S. faces a crucial shortage of medical providers, especially in rural areas. The problem has been building for a while, experts say, but the pandemic accelerated it by pushing many doctors over the edge into early retirement or other fields.

By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio

April 18, 2025

A man wearing glasses sits on a couch facing the camera.

States Push Medicaid Work Rules, but Few Programs Help Enrollees Find Jobs

Republicans are pushing to implement requirements that Medicaid recipients work in order to obtain or retain coverage. Some states try to help enrollees find jobs. But states lack the data to show whether they’re effective.

By Sam Whitehead, Phil Galewitz, and Katheryn Houghton

April 15, 2025

An abstract illustration shows the silhouette of a young girl's head filled with scribbles, unhappy faces, and a low battery symbol. The background depicts a rain shower in blues, greens, and pinks.

More Psych Hospital Beds Are Needed for Kids, but Neighbors Say Not Here

Amid a youth mental health crisis and a shortage of inpatient psychiatric beds, residents of a St. Louis suburb opposed a plan to build a 77-bed pediatric mental health hospital. Resistance to such facilities has occurred in other communities as misconceptions about mental health spur fear.

By Eric Berger

April 11, 2025

A photo of a man seated at a desk, working on a computer, breathing through a portable ventilator.

Many People With Disabilities Risk Losing Their Medicaid if They Work Too Much

As politicians demand that more Medicaid recipients work, many people with disabilities say their state programs’ income and asset caps force them to limit their work hours or turn down promotions.

By Tony Leys

March 25, 2025

A photo of a doctor sitting at his desk with an x-ray image pulled up on his computer.

States Facing Doctor Shortages Ease Licensing Rules for Foreign-Trained Physicians

Amid doctor shortages, several states have stopped requiring foreign-trained providers to repeat residencies before they’re fully licensed. Critics say patients could be harmed because of the loosened training requirements.

By Arielle Zionts

March 3, 2025

A photo of an older man and older woman standing for a photo in their living room. They're holding a school photo of their daughter.

Iowa Medicaid Sends $4M Bills to Two Families Grieving Deaths of Loved Ones With Disabilities

States are required to claw back health care costs from the estates of many Medicaid recipients. Some, including Iowa, are particularly aggressive in their pursuit.

By Tony Leys

Feb. 18, 2025

A photo of silhouettes of commuters heading to work from a train station. The morning light makes them cast long shadows.

As States Mull Medicaid Work Requirements, Two With Experience Scale Back

As Republicans consider adding work requirements to Medicaid, Georgia and Arkansas — two states with experience running such programs — want to scale back the key parts supporters have argued encourage employment and personal responsibility.

By Renuka Rayasam and Sam Whitehead

Feb. 14, 2025

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