The following is a legislative update from State Senator Amanda Ragan, representing Franklin, Butler and Cerro Gordo counties:
Iowa’s privatized Medicaid program will continue. The state has signed contracts with two Managed Care Organizations—Amerigroup Iowa and Iowa Total Care—to run the program over the next year.
Governor Reynolds has given the out-of-state corporations the largest increases for Medicaid in the last decade. The publicly managed Medicaid system grew at an average of 5% each year over a 10-year period before privatization. Last year, the for-profit MCOs got an increase of 8.4%. This year, the increase is 8.6%, which works out to $386 million.
Privatized Medicaid promised to make Iowans healthier and save the state money. Instead, it has proven to be unsustainable, unaffordable and unpredictable—a bad deal for Iowa Medicaid recipients, health care providers and taxpayers.
I continue to keep tabs on what’s happening with Medicaid, and pushing for reforms that Put Iowans First. Most importantly, I need to hear from you. If you have concerns or experiences to share, please email me at amanda.ragan@legis.iowa.gov.
Update on the fight for medical cannabis reforms
Unfortunately, not enough legislators joined the call for a special session to override the Governor’s veto of House File 732, legislation to reform Iowa’s medical cannabis laws.
In April, the bill passed the House 96-3 and the Senate 40-7. Yet, no Republicans came forward to stand by their votes and help suffering Iowans struggling with epilepsy, cancer, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and other conditions.
The Legislature needs to listen to patients and improve the program to better meet their needs. On July 11, legislative Democrats requested that a study committee meet over the next few months to come up with a solution that everybody can agree to. An interim committee would include public meetings and public input.
However, the studies committee—made up of a bipartisan group of legislators, all of whom voted for the medical cannabis reforms—declined to convene a study. This is a big disappointment to Iowans who want the same access to effective medicines that most other Americans already have.
The comments regarding this article offer nothing but personal attacks and garbage hate!
The underlying problem is FREE health care! There isn’t enough money to provide FREE health care, period!
Until the voting public realizes that voting yourself FREE STUFF will destroy us all, we the people are in deep shat.
Our government is no longer working because the people have figured out they can vote themselves money. Unless we the people realize we need to reign in government spending and live within our means, we are living to see the end of our democracy. Sad!
Am I wrong in saying the resentment against Kim is because her party thinks the free loading public servants should NOW have to start chipping in a little cash for their Health insurance that the non public servants have been paying for them for decades, Public servants are self serving overpaid spoiled brats – cry me a river – 5 BILLION dollars indebt (short fall) as government calls it in their lucrative retirement fund ! This is the only reason these snowflakes are bad mouthing the GOV. Truth only hurts the guilty!
“Medicaid was operated by the state for five decades. It had low administrative costs, transparency and made timely payments to providers.
Now Iowa has high administrative costs, secret payment negotiations and struggling health providers.”
Medicaid is a multi million dollar operation. Anytime a business like this is privatized, the people that need it lose, and the people that run it rake in the cash. It’s been proven that privatizing any government operation doesn’t work for the tax payers.
“Gov. Kim Reynolds’ administration has agreed to give an 8.6 percent raise this fiscal year to Amerigroup and Iowa Total Care, the two for-profit insurers contracted with the state to manage the $5 billion health insurance program for poor and disabled people. Iowa Total Care has been insuring Iowans for less than three weeks.”
I don’t believe I have to give any examples, let alone one. I stated my opinion and that’s, that.
I have also noticed the Mandy sends her husband around to do campaigning for her. Must be too much work and effort for her. Thanks for advocating as she likes to respond.
When you make statements like you make, and expect people to buy into your tripe, you need to provide specific examples. If you don’t, you show them you are a member of the cult because that is how they roll.
Making a statement does not require anyone to “buy in to” anything, tripe included. Using your flawed logic, might I be able to ascertain that you are a member of the Ragan family.
I stand behind what I posted, I still feel that Ms. Ragan is more inclined to represent her own interests above others.
“I still feel that Ms. Ragan is more inclined to represent her own interests above others.”
Ya right, Amanda is all about herself…
That is why she did/does these things:
Member, Healthy & Well Kids in Iowa Board of Directors, present
Member, North Iowa Band Festival Planning Committee, present
Former Member, Francis Lauer Youth Services Board
Former Member, Iowa Democratic Party State Central Committee
Former Member, Kinney Pioneer Museum Board
Former Member, Northern Lights Homeless Shelter Board
Member, Senior Living Coordinating Unit
Executive Director, Community Kitchen of Northern Iowa, present
Executive Director, Mason City Meals on Wheels, present
As opposed to the likes of Babs Hovland who ran for state representative and got spanked.
That is because all that Babs is good for is wearing pearls and going to soirées & cotillions.
Get a clue.
He doesn’t have a clue. He believes that all things conservative are good and all things not conservative are wrong. He also believes that only he knows the truth and everyone else is his intellectual inferior. He is a perfect cult member.
Conservative? Hardly, you have got to be kidding!!! I’d venture to guess, you are the cult member if you can’t grasp a simple fact when it’s pointed out to you. I still feel that Ms. Ragan is more inclined to represent her own interests above others. Like she says “thank you for advocating” which some have said is code for – I am voting against your wishes. But, having said all that, it is nice to see a member of the Ragan family stick up for their kin.
I have to agree with you, you made a statement on what your beliefs are. If someone doesn’t agree with it, that’s their choice, but you still have the right to state YOUR opinion and that’s YOUR RIGHT.
Ah, I see, the new Republican mantra. I believe what I believe and don’t have to back up what I say with facts because it is my right to say what I please. Taken right from the DJT playbook. Alternate truth.
The only thing Ragan cares about is feeding money to the teachers union that they in turn donate to her campaign.
Wow a bunch of republican’s with no spine. As useless as democrats with a spine. gross. Iowa is such a draconian wasteland. nothing but corn and bible belt values. oh wait except for the corruption….. well the corruption and the meth…. other than those two thing’s oh and the urban youth crime wave. other than those three thing’s iowa is great. if you dont mind 102 degree 100% humidity that even the central air can barely take theedge off unless you feel like paying alliant the energy monopoly WAY to much for electricity.
Ms. Ragan supposedly represents Franklin, Butler and Cerro Gordo counties, but I’m more inclined to believe she represents her own interests above others.
How so? Give me one example.
She invests her money wisely.
And keeping an eye on the MC organizations isn’t keeping an eye on our money? The governor doesn’t seem to care that these companies keep reneging on their contracts and cutting care.
What MC organizations are you talking about?
Managed Care – the people who are ripping off the state.
I think you meant to say that piece of shit evil mean heartless dis educated dipshit kim reynolds