The bill amends various sections of the Iowa Code to enhance health care decision-making processes, particularly in relation to palliative care, hospice programs, and life-sustaining procedures. Key changes include redefining "attending provider" to include physician assistants and advanced registered nurse practitioners, as well as introducing new definitions for terms such as "attorney in fact," "close adult friend," and "durable power of attorney for health care." The bill emphasizes the importance of patient consent and the rights of family members and close friends in making decisions when patients are unable to communicate their wishes. Additionally, it establishes a hierarchy of individuals authorized to make decisions for patients with terminal conditions who cannot express their preferences.

The bill also replaces the term "physician" with "provider" throughout the text, allowing for broader participation in decision-making regarding life-sustaining treatments. It clarifies that declarations from qualified patients who are pregnant will not take effect if the fetus has the potential for live birth with continued life-sustaining procedures. Furthermore, it outlines procedures for withholding resuscitation in the absence of an out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate order, requiring consultation and written agreement among health care providers and designated individuals. The amendments expand the list of individuals who can make health care decisions on behalf of patients and mandate the presence of a witness during consultations for withholding or withdrawing resuscitation, ultimately aiming to improve the clarity and effectiveness of health care decision-making in Iowa.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 135J.1, 144A.7, 633.635
Reprinted: 135J.1, 135J.3, 144A.2, 144A.7A, 144A.5, 144A.6, 144A.7, 144B.5, 144B.6, 144C.2, 633.635