Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dave Loebsack today called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to end the uncertainty for the hundreds of thousands of Iowans who rely on Medicaid for their health care services and permanently deny the switch to a privately managed Medicaid system. Loebsack supported the original 60-day delay, but now believes that even an additional delay will not give the state enough time to be prepared for the switch. Loebsack has been leading the fight with leaders from the Iowa Senate to ensure all 560,000 Iowans who rely on Medicaid are not negatively affected by the proposed transition.
“I have been wary of the push to privatize Medicaid for Iowans since the plan was first announced late last year. I was pleased that CMS acted to slow down the state’s transition to a managed care system, as I urged them to do. Since that delay, I have met with both health care providers and families that rely on Medicaid, and I remain convinced that the state is not prepared for this switch. It is time for CMS to pull the plug on this plan and deny the state’s waiver request to ensure care is not interrupted for our states most vulnerable populations. The 560,000 Iowans who rely on Medicaid do not have all of the answers they need for the transition to take place. The state should not be allowed to move forward until there is a concrete, realistic plan in place to guarantee our state’s most vulnerable populations, including low-income families, children, seniors and individuals with disabilities are not adversely affected.”
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