DES MOINES – Senate President Pam Jochum spoke Wednesday to the Iowa Senate to point out that Medicaid expansion supports health reforms, including moving towards a greater focus on prevention and cost containment.
Here is President Jochum’s conclusion:
“Here’s how you can be certain that Medicaid expansion will accomplish the health care goals Governor Branstad says he now supports.
“Medicaid expansion is strongly supported by the very same Iowa health care advocates who made Iowa the best state in the nation with regard to children’s health care.
“Medicaid expansion is strongly supported by the same people, as Governor Branstad must acknowledge, who put Iowa within reach of becoming the healthiest state in the nation.
“The simple truth is that the health care reforms Governor Branstad claims as his own are old news to the Iowans who have dedicated their lives to affordable, accessible high quality health care.
“So the next time you hear Governor Branstad call Medicaid a ‘rusty Cadillac,’ please treat it for what it is: An outdated political punch line that hasn’t kept up with the times.”
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