Ragan Report

Senate’s budget protects vulnerable Iowans
 
     The Senate approved the Health & Human Services (HHS) Budget this week. SF 505is one of the state’s largest budgets, with funding for the departments of Human Services, Public Health, Aging, Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Home in Marshalltown.
     The Senate’s HHS Budget will make a significant difference in the lives of Iowans, while spending less than Gov. Branstad proposes. The funding helps some of Iowa's most vulnerable citizens through child abuse investigations, assistance for disabled Iowans, services for those struggling with severe mental illness and more. Highlights include:
     • Investing in Children & Working Parents – Iowans work hard and have one of the highest labor force participation rates in the country. The Child Care Assistance program ensures lower-income families can get safe, high-quality childcare while pursing job opportunities and increasing income. Iowa's income eligibility limit for the program is among the lowest in the nation, so the Senate is proposing a small step toward the national average that would help nearly 600 additional Iowa families.
     We also hope to take the 1st Five programstatewide, ensuring all Iowa kids from birth to age five can be screened for developmental and social-emotional delays, and get referrals for support and health services.
     • Protecting Mental Health Services – Mental health professionals say Iowa has a mental health crisis. Our budget funds the state’s four mental health institutes, including those in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant which the governor is closing. These two facilities provide services not often available elsewhere in the state, including special psychiatric treatment for seniors and inpatient help for dual mental health and substance use disorders.
     Closing the facilities would require family members in the southern half of Iowa to drive hours to attend to loved ones at mental health facilities in other parts of the state; sheriffs to transport patients great distances instead of attending to issues in their communities; and hospital emergency rooms to fill up even faster than they do today.
     • Providing Medicaid Oversight & Consumer Protection –We establish a Medicaid oversight committee to review and recommend improvements to the Governor’s plan to privatize nearly all Medicaid services. Additionally, a Medicaid ombudsman will ensure Iowans can navigate the new system and access advocacy services when medical or support services are arbitrarily denied.
     • Increasing Access to Health Services – The Senate budget provides $5.1 million to reduce the waiting list for Medicaid home and community based services. These programs allow children and adults to receive specialized health and support services in their homes rather than in health care facilities or institutions. It currently can take up to two years for some Iowans, such as those with brain injuries or children with mental health issues, to get help.