Additional Information for IowaCare Referrals

Laboratory Request Policy

Medical homes will be expected to maintain their exiting laboratory referral relationships. The UI Hospitals and Clinics Clinical Laboratories will only become involved in rare instances in which testing cannot be done at the medical home or at their normal reference laboratories. In those instances when testing is sent to UI Hospitals and Clinics, a client bill will be sent to the referring medical home.

Radiology Request Policy

Radiology procedures beyond the existing resource capabilities of medical homes may be requested at UI Hospitals and Clinics if a referral is provided and the necessary pre-authorization approval is secured from the Iowa Medicaid Enterprise. Radiologists at UI Hospitals and Clinics will retain the ultimate authority to decide if a particular procedure is provided here and will consult with the requesting physician if the procedure will not be performed as desired. Requesting physicians must assume all communication responsibilities with patients regarding the results of any procedure performed, although UI Hospitals and Clinics physicians may choose to communicate some results.

Peer-to-Peer Consultation Policy

Requests for routine, non-urgent consultations at UI Hospitals and Clinics will be arranged by the IowaCare Assistance Center. Please contact the UI Hospitals and Clinics IowaCare Assistance Center at 319-356-1000 during regular business hours. Requests for urgent/emergent consultations and for those outside of normal business hours should be directed to the Integrated Call Center at 800-322-8442.

Requesting Access to Medical Records

UI Hospitals and Clinics will provide protected health information (PHI) to medical homes in situations where the medical home has scheduled an appointment for a patient in the near future. Either the medical home or the patient can request this information. A signed consent to release information form is not required in these situations but is strongly encouraged.

All requests for copies of medical records must be received in writing. Requests via e-mail cannot be accepted.

• Use our HIPAA-compliant form to authorize release of medical information.
• To request a pre-printed form be sent to you via e-mail or by mail, please e-mail HIM-ConsentForm@uiowa.edu.

To avoid delays in processing, please review the form carefully and complete all sections. If the patient is a minor (less than 18 years of age), a parent or legal guardian must sign.

Questions regarding release of information or the pre-printed form, may be directed to the Release of Information Office at 319-356-1719, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mail completed forms to:

Urgent patient care requests may be faxed to 319-356-3079.