DAVENPORT, IOWA (April 18, 2019) — Iowans are concerned that our nationally-recognized Hawki children’s health-insurance program may suffer because of ongoing problems with privatized Medicaid.
Hawki provides low-cost health-coverage for more than 70,000 Iowa children from working families.
UnitedHealthcare had been a Hawki provider for more than five years. Now that UnitedHealthcare is leaving Iowa, we must make sure that Hawki kids face no interruption in the services they need.
To address Iowans’ concerns and avoid potential problems, Democratic legislators are asking the state Hawki Board for specifics on the transition, including:
- What information is being provided to Hawki families about the move from UnitedHealthcare to one of the remaining managed-care organizations?
- Is information about upcoming changes being shared with parents and school officials so that they can schedule physicals, immunizations and checkups this summer?
- Can families keep their health care provider if they transition to a new MCO?
- Will Hawki continue to be a secure and trustworthy benefit program that health care providers want to be involved with?
The Hawki transition is another opportunity for the Reynolds Administration to show that it has learned from past mistakes. Iowans were promised that privatized Medicaid would increase quality and access to care. Instead, they often get more headaches and problems.
Additional information
This is a legislative update by State Senator Jim Lykam, representing Davenport and Buffalo. For bio, photos and further information, go towww.senate.iowa.gov/senator/lykam.
To contact Senator Lykam when the Legislature is in session, call the Senate Switchboard at 515-281-3371. Otherwise he can be reached at 563-391-1919. E-mail him at jim.lykam@legis.iowa.gov.
Senator Lykam serves on the following committees:
