Litigation Team Secures Settlement Against Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

In The News
October 11, 2023

Last week, a Ropes & Gray pro bono litigation team, along with co-counsel Disability Rights Iowa, Children's Rights and National Health Law Program, reached an interim settlement in a class action lawsuit against Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. The complaint, filed in January 2023, alleged that the State of Iowa denied Medicaid-eligible children access to vital mental health services, such as care coordination and behavioral health services.

On October 2, the State of Iowa agreed to an interim settlement agreement that addresses these decades-long deficiencies in the provision of mental health services. Over the next three months, the state will develop an implementation plan in which it will define clear access points for behavioral health services, including both in-home and crisis services, and set forth procedures for its ongoing oversight of children’s access to care. The plan will also address updates to case managements supports, relieving the burden on children’s families to coordinate their mental health care. The parties will reach a final settlement agreement by July 1.

The Ropes & Gray team is led by litigation & enforcement partner Tim Farrell, and includes associate Katie Conroy.