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Issue record

Health care

In short

Mitchell's campaign backs lower costs, more choice and key Affordable Care Act protections; James's backs a Medicare buy-in at 55 and reversing Medicaid cuts. Stewart's campaign would turn payroll taxes into a basic income; Bushaw's backs Medicare for All. On the record, James voted for a 2024 pharmacy law allowing the emergency refills she sought; her insulin coverage bills never became law. The record does not settle her account of naming Amerigroup over denied care.

Campaign positions

What each campaign says.

Joe Mitchell

He wants lower costs and more choice while keeping key protections from the Affordable Care Act, and drug and insulin prices in line with other developed countries.

Lindsay James

She wants to lower the Medicare buy-in age to 55, let Medicare negotiate all drug prices, reverse Medicaid cuts and restore Roe v. Wade.

Rick Stewart

He wants to redirect the payroll taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare, with other assistance programs, into a monthly basic income for every citizen 18 and older.

Dave Bushaw

He backs Medicare for All as written in the Sanders, Jayapal and Dingell bills, replacing premiums, copays and deductibles with a payroll tax.

Evidence timeline

What the record shows.

  1. campaign position

    Lindsay James: record does not settle this

    Her public interview repeats the account, but an official floor-speech capture and independent restoration record were not obtained.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    In the October 1 debate, James said she named Amerigroup in the legislature over a constituent's denied care. A July 29 Iowa Podcast interview carries James's account of naming Amerigroup in a House-floor speech, then speaking with its lobbyist. She recounts a next-day statement that decisions would be reversed and the constituent's healthcare restored. The host labels the transcript AI-assisted and directs readers to the video. Why there is no verdict: The original floor-speech date and official capture, denial record and completed service-restoration record are not established by the captured public sources. No private medical records were sought. Limit: The transcript is a public first-person account, not an independent patient, insurer or official speech record. Exact spoken wording was not audio-certified, and a promised reversal does not prove completed restoration.

  2. campaign position

    Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

    Emergency refills became law in a wider 2024 bill, but her insulin-coverage bills did not. Cheaper insulin from her work is unshown; these sources do not audit every insurer confrontation.

    Read the full check

    Full detail

    Her campaign describes work across party lines on affordable insulin. In the October 1 debate, James described a reputation for challenging insurers and drug companies that denied care to constituents. In 2019 she and Rep. Andy McKean introduced House File 447 on emergency insulin. The committee widened it to emergency refills of any prescription as House File 700. It passed the House 97-0 with her vote and the Senate, amended, 49-0, but the House never took up the amendment. In 2021 the same refill bill passed the House 91-0 as House File 262, with her vote. She also voted for House File 263, an insulin coverage bill that passed 89-2. Neither got past a Senate subcommittee. In 2023 and 2024 she voted for House File 555, now law, which lets pharmacists refill a prescription without the prescriber's approval under Board of Pharmacy rules. Four more insulin bills she sponsored, from 2020 to 2025, got no further than referral. She also introduced HF 2508 in February 2022 on emergency prescription refills and associated insurance coverage; its history records referral to Commerce. Limit: The refill access she first sought became law in 2024, in a wider pharmacy bill that does not name insulin. The cost half has no law behind it: none of her insulin coverage bills passed, so the record does not show Iowans getting cheaper insulin from her work. These legislative records document health-access work; they do not independently establish her reputation, every confrontation with an insurer or drug company, or privately reported constituent outcomes.

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Sources24 source records

How we use sources

  1. The Issueshttps://joemitchell.com/issues

    Joe Mitchell for Congress · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Campaign issues page, sixteen sections from corporate PAC money to elections. Positions are attributed, not independently verified facts.

    candidate statement

    For: Joe Mitchell: campaign position

  2. A Healthcare System that Works for Allhttps://www.lindsayforiowa.com/issues/issue-2

    Lindsay for Iowa · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Campaign issue page on Medicare, Medicaid, price transparency, the medical workforce and abortion rights.

    candidate statement

    For: Lindsay James: campaign position

  3. Libertarian wants to repeal income tax, welfare programs, immigration policyhttps://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/libertarian-wants-repeal-income-tax-004220831.html

    Iowa Capital Dispatch (republished by Yahoo News) · Published Aug 15, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Report by Cami Koons on his August 15, 2026 speech at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox, with direct quotes. The original Capital Dispatch page (iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/08/15/libertarian-wants-to-repeal-income-tax-welfare-programs-immigration-policy/) blocks the desk's script, so this Yahoo copy is cited; a browser read of the original on October 1, 2026 found the same article text, both quoted lines included. His only 2026 platform statement found.

    original reporting

    For: Rick Stewart: campaign position

  4. Where Dave Bushaw Stands on the Issueshttps://www.davebushaw.com/platform

    Dave Bushaw for Congress · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Campaign platform page. Positions are attributed, not independently verified facts.

    candidate statement

    For: Dave Bushaw: campaign position

  5. October 1 debate, Lindsay James on amerigroup casehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxmmjLQ5-9M&t=1352s

    Iowa's News Now (KGAN/KFXA) · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Retained native-caption window 22:32.080-22:56.080. Statement paraphrased; a second matching transcript and exact quotation certification were not obtained.

    candidate statement

    For: Lindsay James: record does not settle this

  6. Lindsay James interview, July 29, 2026https://iowapodcast.com/rep-lindsay-james/

    The Iowa Podcast · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Host-published interview carrying James's first-person account. The host marks the transcript as AI-assisted; it is not an independent patient, insurer or House-floor record.

    candidate statement

    For: Lindsay James: record does not settle this

  7. About Lindsayhttps://www.lindsayforiowa.com/about

    Lindsay for Iowa · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Campaign biography, including a list of what she says she did in the legislature. Attributed, not independently verified, except where a card checks it.

    candidate statement

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  8. October 1 debate, Lindsay James on health advocacyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxmmjLQ5-9M&t=1148s

    Iowa's News Now (KGAN/KFXA) · Published Oct 1, 2026 · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Retained native-caption window 19:08.880-19:42.480. Statement paraphrased; a second matching transcript and exact quotation certification were not obtained.

    candidate statement

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  9. House File 447 (2019), bill historyhttps://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=HF447&ga=88

    Iowa Legislature · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Introduced February 20, 2019 by McKean and James; on emergency dispensing of insulin. Withdrawn March 19, 2019 when the committee version, H.F. 700, reached the floor.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  10. House File 700 (2019), bill historyhttps://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=HF700&ga=88

    Iowa Legislature · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Committee bill, formerly H.F. 447. Passed the House 97-0 on March 19, 2019 and the Senate, amended, 49-0 on April 9, 2019. The House did not take up the Senate amendment; status Passed Senate.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  11. House File 700 (2019), bill text (document)

    Iowa Legislature · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    The bill as the House passed it: "An Act relating to the refilling of a prescription in emergency situations". It amends Code section 155A.29(3) to allow one emergency refill of any prescription in twelve months, up to a thirty-day supply. It does not mention insulin; H.F. 447's insulin wording and insurance-coverage section were dropped in committee.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  12. Iowa House Journal, March 19, 2019, page 578 (document)

    Iowa Legislature · Published Mar 19, 2019 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Roll call on House File 700: ayes 97, nays none. James and Mitchell among the ayes.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  13. House File 262 (2021), bill historyhttps://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=HF262&ga=89

    Iowa Legislature · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Committee bill on emergency prescription refills, with the same operative text as H.F. 700 (2019). Passed the House 91-0 on February 8, 2021; a Senate subcommittee recommended passage March 30, 2021 and it went no further. Status Passed House.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  14. House File 263 (2021), bill historyhttps://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=HF263&ga=89

    Iowa Legislature · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Committee bill on insurance coverage for prescription insulin. Passed the House 89-2 on February 8, 2021; a Senate subcommittee recommended passage at its March 17, 2021 meeting and it went no further. Status Passed House.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  15. Iowa House Journal, February 8, 2021, page 315 (document)

    Iowa Legislature · Published Feb 8, 2021 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Roll calls on House File 262 (page 314): ayes 91, nays none; and House File 263 (page 315): ayes 89, nays 2. James and Mitchell among the ayes on both.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  16. House File 555 (2023-2024), bill historyhttps://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=HF555&ga=90

    Iowa Legislature · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Committee bill on the practice of pharmacy. Passed the House 86-10 on March 16, 2023 and, after a Senate amendment, 87-9 on April 3, 2024; signed April 19, 2024 as 2024 Iowa Acts, chapter 1056.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  17. Iowa House Journal, March 16, 2023, page 672 (document)

    Iowa Legislature · Published Mar 16, 2023 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Roll call on House File 555: ayes 86, nays 10. James among the ayes.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  18. Iowa House Journal, April 3, 2024, page 724 (document)

    Iowa Legislature · Published Apr 3, 2024 · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Final House vote on House File 555 after concurring in the Senate amendment: ayes 87, nays 9. James among the ayes.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  19. 2024 Iowa Acts, chapter 1056 (House File 555) (document)

    Iowa Legislature · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    The enacted text. Section 18 adds Code section 155A.27(9): a pharmacist may use professional judgment to refill a prescription without the prescriber's authorization, under Board of Pharmacy rules. Section 27 repeals section 155A.29, the old emergency-refill section. It does not mention insulin.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  20. House File 2053 (2020), bill historyhttps://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=HF2053&ga=88

    Iowa Legislature · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Sponsored by Wessel-Kroeschell and James; limits on cost-sharing for insulin. Introduced January 21, 2020 and referred to Human Resources; no further action.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  21. House File 2511 (2022), bill historyhttps://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=HF2511&ga=89

    Iowa Legislature · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Sponsored by James alone; emergency prescription refills and insulin coverage. Referred to Human Resources; no further action.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  22. House File 694 (2023), bill historyhttps://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=HF694&ga=90

    Iowa Legislature · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Sponsored by 28 members, Konfrst first and James among them; insurance coverage for prescription insulin. Referred to Commerce; no further action.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  23. House File 658 (2025), bill historyhttps://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=HF658&ga=91

    Iowa Legislature · Reviewed Oct 1, 2026

    Sponsored by James first among sixteen; insurance coverage for prescription insulin. Introduced February 28, 2025 and referred to Commerce; no further action.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet

  24. iowa hf2508 89 historyhttps://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=HF2508&enhanced=true&ga=89

    Iowa Legislature · Reviewed Oct 7, 2026

    Official record of this named measure and its sponsors, text or history. Introduced proposals, committee votes, resolutions, floor passage and enactment are distinct outcomes.

    official legislative record

    For: Lindsay James: Not comparable yet