The Iowa House has rejected the idea of forbidding Iowa doctors from accepting gifts from pharmaceutical companies. That gift ban was part of a health care reform plan which cleared the Iowa Senate a couple of weeks ago.
Representative Linda Upmeyer, a Republican from Garner, says members of the House trust the Iowa Board of Medical Examiners to police the profession.
"Is there somebody out there doing things that are either unethical or illegal in the whole gift-giving world?" Upmeyer says. "And as you know there’s been a lot of federal initiatives taken on that topic."
The House approved their version of a health care reform packae which creates a new commission to come up with ways to provide health insurance for all Iowans. The bill also extends health care coverage to more Iowa children who live in low-income households. The legislation also would allow young adults to stay on their parents health care policy until they’re 25.