A cap that depends on who you're suing
Outside medical malpractice, Iowa places no cap on pain and suffering — the ceiling is whatever a jury decides. Malpractice claims work differently. Under Iowa Code §147.136A, as revised by House File 161 (effective February 16, 2023), noneconomic damages are capped at $1,000,000 when the defendant is an individual health care provider or independent clinic, and $2,000,000 when the claim involves a hospital. Both figures rise annually — Iowa's Insurance Division publishes the current schedule, which projects both tiers more than doubling by the 2050s.
This replaced an earlier, lower "soft" cap of $250,000 (2017–2023) that came with a judicial exception for substantial impairment, disfigurement, or death. There's no cap on economic damages in a malpractice case. On fault, Iowa Code §668.3 bars recovery only once your fault exceeds the defendants' combined fault — the 51% bar.