Hunter
07/28/26
The Iowa Board of Regents are expected to approve a new policy banning University of Iowa Health Care from asking doctors, physician assistants, pharmacists and nurses to sign non-compete contracts when they’re hired.
The Gazette reports the Iowa Legislature passed a bill prohibiting them specifically at UIHC, which means other hospitals in the state can still use them.
Non-compete agreements typically prevent employees from working with any competitors within a certain vicinity for a certain period of time.
The law went into effect June 2nd and doesn’t affect contracts at UIHC signed before then.
The bill was introduced by Republican Senator Adrian Dickey of Packwood, who believes rural health care is being hampered due to the non-compete agreements. He says with over 90 locations across the state, all of Iowa is covered with UIHC non-competes and doctors are forced to leave Iowa if they leave UIHC.
UIHC says many hospitals and physician groups across Iowa use the agreements, and that they apply for up to two years following the end of their employment. There is a 20-mile radius for primary care physicians and radiologists, and a 50-mile radius for all other faculty physicians.