The following is a legislative update from State Senator Amanda Ragan, representing Butler, Cerro Gordo, and Franklin counties:
Privatized, for-profit Medicaid continues to cause chaos and uncertainty for Iowa families, health care providers and taxpayers.
That’s why Sen. Mathis and I introduced a new bill that makes changes to privatized Medicaid on behalf of patients who need quality service and providers who want to get paid on time. Practical improvements in SF 156 include:
- Returning health care for those with long-term needs to a state-run system.
- Making it easier to get substance abuse treatment.
- Making it easier for members to switch managed care organizations (MCOs.)
- Ensuring Iowans have a stable, well-trained workforce.
- Providing independent, conflict-free case management and assessments.
- Implementing an external review process for providers.
- Streamlining oversight through the State Ombudsman’s Office.
Three years ago, the Governor made a unilateral decision to privatize the health care of 600,000 Iowans. The for-profit corporations running Medicaid continue to deny services to disabled, elderly and vulnerable Iowans, and they don’t properly reimburse health care providers. In turn, health care providers refuse to see Medicaid patients. Some have even been forced to close up shop. All the while, taxpayers are handing over more of their hard-earned money for a system that is barely working.
MCOs are still reporting losses, and state savings are significantly lower than projected. At the same time, costs per Medicaid member have risen.
Since Governor Reynolds has confirmed her support for privatized Medicaid, it’s time for the legislation to move forward on serious meaningful improvements to the system.
She is absolutely right about those with long term health needs. The premise behind MCO savings is that they will help consumers become healthier and reduce the need for medical and other care. If someone has been disabled for 20 years or is 90 years old with heart disease, the only way MCOs save money is to withhold services and let them die faster.
That is exactly what should happen. Why spend money on people who are going to die anyway? same with those who have been disabled for 10+ years. Let them die. It is called culling the herd or draining the swamp. MAGA
Wow. That is all I have. Just wow.
But I bet you are opposed to abortion, right? You just don’t care about people once they are born.
Yea kill’em all go Trump!
Public servants (now there’s a joke here somewhere) DO !
To nobody cares,
You sound like a real first class citizen. If your don’t like our politicians then run for office!
Nobody cares about your old ass. Just stop.
She has served 5 terms as our representative in the Senate so apparently, there are a number of people out there who do care.