TH: Jochum to air Iowa Medicaid transition concerns in meeting at White House

Iowa’s top Democrat will voice her concerns about Gov. Terry Branstad’s initiative to privatize the state’s Medicaid system during a meeting Wednesday at the White House.

Senate President Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, said she will attend a meeting at the White House to discuss the Medicaid transition scheduled for implementation Jan. 1. She will meet with officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, which must sign off on Branstad’s plan.

Jochum, herself the mother of a disabled adult child on Medicaid, has been a vocal opponent of the transition. It would transfer administration of the $4.2 billion program to four for-profit managed care organizations.

Branstad has said the privatization move will improve care and cut costs.

In an email to TH Media, Jochum said she has communicated with Jerry Abramson, a deputy assistant to President Barack Obama, about the transition since September. Five other federal officials will attend the meeting, as well as Sens. Amanda Ragan, of Mason City, and Liz Mathis, of Robins.

The Iowa delegation will request the rejection of Branstad’s proposal or, at the very least, a six-month delay in a decision being made on implementation, according to a press release.

“We are talking about the health care of one out of six Iowans — many who have serious health challenges — and the jobs of the people who provide their health care,” Jochum said in a press release. “If the federal government closely reviews the Iowa Medicaid privatization mess so far, I believe they will conclude that the Branstad Administration is simply not up to this challenge.”

Branstad, a Republican, met with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, a Democrat, in Washington last week. His administration characterized the meeting as “positive” and “encouraging.”

Branstad’s administration has come under fire across the state from providers and Medicaid members who claim a lack of information about the transition has restricted their ability to enroll with the for-profit companies.