Progress Iowa Director: “Governor Branstad should be ashamed of himself”

Matt Sinovic with Amanda Ragan and Sharon Steckman at Cerro Gordo County Courthouse in 2012

Des Moines, Iowa — On February 11th, the Iowa Legislature will took its first step toward Medicaid Expansion, despite repeated refusals from Governor Branstad. As the Senate held its first subcommittee meeting that morning to consider Senate File 71, 10,000 Iowa veterans live without health insurance. As many as half of Iowa’s uninsured veterans would be eligible for Medicaid if the program is expanded under the Affordable Care Act.

In advance of a subcommittee meeting held February 11th, Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa, issued the following statement:

“Governor Branstad should be ashamed of himself. When our veterans come home, there should be no question about the level of care they receive. Several Republican Governors have put politics aside to do what’s right and expand Medicaid, which will benefit veterans in their states. We hope Governor Branstad will follow their lead, put partisanship aside, and do right by the men and women who fought to protect our country by giving them the access to health care they deserve.”

“Our veterans deserve better than to be collateral damage as a result of the Governor’s political games.”

In a study completed last year by the Urban Institute, and subsequent analysis from the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, it was discovered that an estimated 10,000 veterans living in Iowa do not have health insurance. And by expanding Medicaid, nearly half of veterans would become eligible for coverage.

According to a recent poll conducted by the American Cancer Society, Medicaid expansion is supported by 57 percent of Iowans, while only 27 percent oppose its expansion. And expanding Medicaid would save Iowa $546 million over the next decade, according to a recent study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation.