Iowa HHS HOME Website updated

Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) warns that advancements in AI and technology have made scammers increasingly dangerous, worsening the impact of Medicare fraud on older adults. Medicare open enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7, and scammers are actively targeting Medicare beneficiaries with fake plan offers, phishing texts, and impostor calls. Common scams are:

• “New Medicare Card” Offer: Scammers claim to call from Medicare offering a new plastic or chip-enabled Medicare card. FACT: Medicare cards do not expire and are not being replaced with plastic or chip-enabled cards. And Medicare does not provide cards with “special” benefits.
• Threats of Coverage Cancellation: Callers threaten to cancel benefits unless personal information or Medicare numbers are provided. FACT: Medicare representatives will never cold-call, text or email demanding personal details.
• “Too Good to Be True” Benefits: Advertisements or solicitors promising cash cards, free medical equipment, or dramatic coverage upgrades in exchange for your Medicare number. To review options or change your Medicare coverage, navigate directly to Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or visit our the SHIIP website.

To read more, go to Iowa Insurance Division Press Release.

Several code changes took place on January 1, 2026 related to HCBS Waiver. Please see the Desk Resource HCBS Waiver Service code updates for more information.

The Iowa Compass resource database successfully transitioned to our new software platform on July 13! Thank you for your patience and support throughout this process. We’ll continue making minor refinements over the coming weeks to further improve the platform.

Every three years the Iowa SILC reaches out for input from people around the state who have disabilities. This feedback is used to develop their Statewide Plan for Independent Living (SPIL). Please consider taking this survey.  For more information, visit Survey | Iowa SILC.

The Medicare open enrollment period (OEP) is coming up from October 15- December 7. This is the annual opportunity for all Medicare beneficiaries to review their Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription plan changes for the year ahead and compare options for enrollment starting January 1.
For more information, please go to Iowa HHS Open Enrollment Period.

On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Iowa HHS posted a Public Notice regarding the 1915 (c) Home and Community Based Services AIDS/HIV, Brain Injury (BI), Children’s Mental Health (CMH), Elderly, Health and Disability (HD), Intellectual Disabilities (ID), and Physical Disability (PD) Waivers. Please see the HHS website for more information.