Medicaid Crisis Generates Pilot Project in Iowa
Iowa Federation of Labor
Medicaid is a state and federal program
that provides healthcare to the poor, the disabled and many seniors in
nursing homes. For every dollar Iowans put into this program, the
federal government puts in two.
The
program has faced budget shortages, which were made worse by a federal
decision to disallow the state’s use of so-called Intergovernmental
Transfers.
The
Governor, legislators and the Iowa Department of Human Services worked
with the federal government to come up with a bipartisan bill that not
only maintained the current level of funding, but also allowed the
expansion of Medicaid to some 30,000 additional Iowans.
There
is some concern about some of the requirements for the expanded plan,
such as the introduction of premiums to be paid by recipients.
There is also concern about the strong emphasis on consumer-driven
health care, privatization and other market-driven initiatives that are
very controversial. In spite of its possible shortcomings, this
bill was necessary to avoid cutting health care for many of Iowa’s
poorest residents. The pilot program, which passed both the House and
Senate unanimously, could be a model for the rest of the country.
The Iowa
Federation of Labor (IFL) also lobbied for legislation that would allow
the state to identify the employers of applicants for Medicaid and
other state-funded health care. Wal-Mart
and other low-wage employers that do not provide adequate employee
health care coverage receive a hidden subsidy because their employees
are eligible for Medicaid. These employers are not only exploiting their employees, they are also exploiting Iowa taxpayers who pay for Medicaid.
This
legislation did not pass this year, but the IFL will continue to seek
either legislative or administrative means to provide the names of
these employers, as well as a remedy to make them pay their fair share.
(Source)
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