By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    healthy hobbies
    The Importance of Hobbies for Our Health
    September 15, 2024
    Whiplash
    Understanding Whiplash: A Guide For Healthcare Practitioners
    January 22, 2025
    research chemicals and health care
    Chemical Research Drive Medical Breakthroughs
    June 14, 2023
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Hospitals and Providers Using NHIN (Nationwide Health Information Network)
    March 11, 2012
    Image
    Physicians With High Productivity And Satisfaction Scores Employ Strong Patient-Centered Communication Skills
    May 7, 2013
    My Solution to the Healthcare Crisis
    March 31, 2012
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Iowa’s in the National News Right Now, and It’s for a Reason You Wouldn’t Expect
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Finance > Iowa’s in the National News Right Now, and It’s for a Reason You Wouldn’t Expect
BusinessFinanceHealth ReformHospital Administration

Iowa’s in the National News Right Now, and It’s for a Reason You Wouldn’t Expect

Brad Wright
Brad Wright
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

Sure, the Presidential Election is only about 18 months away, but the campaigns–especially among the crowded Republican field–are well underway. With its first in the nation primary–the Iowa Caucuses–the state I currently call home is in the news often these days as the next hopeful makes their trek to America’s Heartland. But recently, Iowa has been in the news–on a national level–for a very different reason and it’s one you should pay attention to no matter where you live, because it’s either happening in your state already, or there’s a very good chance that it will be soon.

Sure, the Presidential Election is only about 18 months away, but the campaigns–especially among the crowded Republican field–are well underway. With its first in the nation primary–the Iowa Caucuses–the state I currently call home is in the news often these days as the next hopeful makes their trek to America’s Heartland. But recently, Iowa has been in the news–on a national level–for a very different reason and it’s one you should pay attention to no matter where you live, because it’s either happening in your state already, or there’s a very good chance that it will be soon.

The issue is simple: Iowa wants to hand over control of its Medicaid program to private managed care organizations. There’s a popular word that often gets used for this, but I refuse to repeat it here, lest it legitimate the idea further. Last month, one of the doctoral students in my department wrote this guest post about the issue. It provides a good overview of what’s being proposed. And it’s being proposed swiftly, which should make anyone a little bit suspicious.

The reason that this is such a big deal is because, while Governor Branstad is making bold claims that the move to managed care will save the state $51 million a year, there is little reason to believe that will be the case. Indeed, most (but not all) research has found that Medicaid managed care does not significantly improve health outcomes, does not save money, and in fact often ends up costing more than traditional Medicaid. The much higher administrative costs of private firms are one potential driver of this. Moreover, it matters tremendously how Medicaid is transitioned from a state program to a private managed care organization, including how those private entities are regulated and by whom. In short, the best option is for the state to leave the Medicaid program intact. It is for these reasons that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just issued a proposed rule that would put in place additional regulations for Medicaid managed care organizations, including consumer protection provisions to enforce an adequate medical loss ratio, sufficiently large provider networks, and transparency around costs.

More Read

Reducing Healthcare Costs Through Company Wellness Plans
Scribes Continue to Grow in Hospitals
Interview with Evan Falchuk, Candidate for Governor of Massachusetts
The 5 Standards of Provider Engagement
The Anti-Aging Empire: Infographic

Recently, an editorial penned in the Des Moines Register took up the issue, and this has made it’s way to the level of national news. See Exhibit A: Its mention in the Kaiser Health News Morning Briefing (you’ll have to scroll to the end of the page). The real kicker, as I see it, is that the people of Iowa–you know, the people whose tax dollars will be paying for this Medicaid program one way or the other–are highly opposed to transitioning Medicaid to managed care. As the editorial notes, “Only 22 percent [of voters surveyed] supported the idea.” Yet the Branstad Administration is moving full-speed ahead.

Usually, this kind of disregard of public opinion by public officials engenders enough outrage to stir up a major backlash. In this case, however, there is little of that urgency. This is because, although the issue affects nearly 1 in 6 Iowans directly and all Iowans indirectly, the directly affected Iowans are poorly organized and lack the resources to be effectively engaged in policy matters, while the indirectly affected Iowans are likely unaware of the issue and/or fail to see how it affects them. Rest assured, however, that the well-heeled private insurers who stand to gain richly from this transition to managed care if it is approved are not so politically inactive.

The key phrase in that last sentence is “if it is approved.” The Federal government ultimately must approve Iowa’s waiver application for the Medicaid program to be transitioned to managed care. Rather than appeal to the Governor, who doesn’t seem to mind ignoring the wishes of the overwhelming majority of Iowans, you can make your voice heard at the Federal level. If enough pressure is applied to the Obama Administration (and CMS, specifically), there’s a chance that Iowa’s Medicaid Managed Care waiver won’t be approved, which would be a huge victory for all Iowans. To speak up and make your views known, you can contact several people, including Manning Pellanda, Director of the Division of State Demonstrations and Waivers at CMS, Vikki Wachino, Acting Director of CMS, or you can call the regional CMS office in Kansas City at (816) 426-5925. You can also visit http://www.cms.gov and send a message to the offices through the website. This matters, and you can make a difference.

Image via Shutterstock

TAGGED:health reformHealthcareIowaMedicaidMedicare
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025
engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

What Healthcare Can Learn from the Financial Industry

October 2, 2012
eHealthHealth careMedical InnovationsMobile HealthTechnology

Making Healthcare Mobile: How U.S. Clinics Keep Pace with Medical Software Innovations

December 4, 2017

Social Media and TEDMED

October 26, 2011
Hospital AdministrationMedical Education

5 Reasons to Pursue a Career in Health Administration

July 1, 2016
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?