Gov. Kim Reynolds was joined by health care professionals at a news conference Feb. 18, 2025 about her proposals to improve rural health care access. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
House and Senate appropriations subcommittees on Tuesday advanced the governor’s health care proposal to expand Iowa’s medical residencies and increase funding for the state’s health care student loan repayment program, largely with support from advocates for Iowa’s medical providers.
House File 754 and Senate File 575 are companion versions of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ bill aimed at addressing Iowa’s health care workforce shortages, and the lack of care available in rural Iowa. The legislation would consolidate Iowa’s current five student loan repayment programs and increase funding from $4.2 million currently to $10 million. The loan repayment program would be open to any person who commits to practicing in high-demand areas of Iowa for five years, even if they were trained out-of-state…