Iowa governor candidate Jack Hatch says expanded care for poor delayed by Branstad

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald-AP

DES MOINES (AP) — A Democratic gubernatorial candidate blamed Republican Gov. Terry Branstad on Monday for the delay in expanding health care to Iowa’s low-income residents, alleging that the governor’s insistence that the poor pay a small premium for coverage has made the federal government reluctant to approve the plan.

State Sen. Jack Hatch of Des Moines said Branstad’s push for monthly premiums for people enrolled in the new Iowa Health and Wellness Plan has been a sticking point with officials from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service. Hatch said he spoke recently with federal officials about the approval process, and they expressed concerns about such fees for the very poor.


“The logjam with CMS can be broken if the governor will move away from his insistence on premiums,” Hatch said in a statement.

Branstad said Monday that the Legislature approved the plan with bipartisan support and that the use of premiums will improve health outcomes.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20131210/LIVEWELL26/131219963#iowa-governor-candidate-jack-hatch-says-expanded-care-for-poor-delayed-by-branstad

[Mass]

1. What is a small premium? I guess the devil is in the details.

Assuming that the premiums are not ridiculously prohibitive, this story seems the perfect example of stupid dispute.

As we insist that Medicaid is managed by states, may be we should allow those states to be creative, as long as it works.

[Bandit]

2. I am looking forward to my twelve dollar raise in social security next year

Twelve dollars is a lot of money for me.... Maybe to you it is toss away money but for many it means a lot.

[Mass]

3. a lot more for me than for you if you have social security.

Anyway. CMS has accepted the waiver.