Ragan Report

Bipartisan oversight will protect vulnerable Iowans
     Despite its disappointing and troubling start, the Branstad-Reynolds Medicaid privatization plan is moving forward. Our job now is to ensure Iowa’s health care safety net remains strong. After all, every one of us is just one accident or illness away from needing Medicaid help.
     If your parent, spouse or child has a severe disability, chances are they’ll be on Medicaid. In fact, most Medicaid dollars help our elderly and Iowans with disabilities. We’ll protect them with tough, bipartisan oversight and accountability measures for the out-of-state corporations that will be running the program.
     Senate File 2213, which won bipartisan approval in the Senate, will safeguard the interests of Medicaid members, encourage the participation of health care providers and ensure the tax dollars of hard-working Iowans are spent properly.
     We’ll also continue to make system improvements by:
     • Requiring stronger consumer protections, rate and payment regulation, data collection and evaluation.
     • Creating a fund to finance improvements.
     • Providing a comprehensive review of program integrity.
     • Enhancing the role and responsibilities of the Health Policy Oversight Committee.
     • Assigning authority to a Managed Care Ombudsman.
     • Expanding the Medical Assistance Advisory Council.
     With so many unanswered questions, oversight is a must. We can’t let privatization hurt the very people Medicaid is supposed to help.
     Sen. Amanda Ragan (D-Mason City) serves Franklin, Butler and Cerro Gordo counties in Senate District 27. She can be reached at (515) 281-3371 or (641) 424-0874. Email her at amanda.ragan@legis.iowa.gov.