Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • Don’t let Medicaid mess undermine children’s health insurance

    Iowa Senate News Release
    Senator Nate Boulton
    Representative John Forbes
    For Immediate Release:  April 15, 2019

     

    Don’t let Medicaid mess undermine Iowa’s successful children’s health insurance program

    Two members of the board of Hawki, Iowa’s nationally recognized Hawki children’s health insurance program, today raised concerns in a letter about maintaining quality as it becomes part of Iowa’s troubled privatized Medicaid program.

    “This is another challenging transition for Iowa families,” said Senator Nate Boulton.  “Unitedhealthcare had been a Hawki provider for more than five years.  Those families need as much support as possible to make sure their care is not interrupted.  Specifically, we must make sure providers continue to welcome Hawki kids into their care.”

    “The Hawki transition is another opportunity for the Reynolds Administration to show that it has learned from past mistakes,” said Representative John Forbes.  “Iowans were promised that a privatized health care system would increase quality and access to care. However, too often they have instead gotten more headaches and problems.”

    Hawki provides low-cost health coverage for more than 70,000 children from working families across the state.   The Hawki Board of Directors guides the Department of Human Services’ efforts to develop, implement and administer the Hawki program.

    The questions for the board included:

    • How will the Board/DHS communicate with Hawki families about the transition from UnitedHealthcare to one of the two remaining managed-care organizations, Amerigroup Iowa or Iowa Total Care?
    • How will the Board/DHS communicate with schools across the state to make sure that parents and school officials are aware of the upcoming changes?  This is especially concerning for parents/guardians because they will be scheduling annual physicals, immunizations and other routine care during the summer months.
    • How will parents/guardians learn whether they will be able to keep their current pediatrician or other health care provider if they are transitioning to Amerigroup Iowa or Iowa Total Care?
    • How will the Board/DHS ensure healthcare providers continue to see Hawki as a secure and trustworthy benefit program, one that they want to be involved with?

    -end-

  • John Oliver tackles the mobile home park crisis

    Mobile homes may seem like an affordable housing option, but large investment companies are making them less and less so.

    On HBO’s Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver takes a deep dive into the problems home owners face in mobile home parks. Iowa must address these issues and reform our manufactured housing laws.

  • Republicans once again turn their backs on suffering Iowans

    April 4, 2019

    Statement by Senator Joe Bolkcom

    Republicans voted today to continue to restrict access to THC in medical cannabis. Their decision means thousands of Iowans will continue suffer needlessly.

    Iowa is the only state with a comprehensive medical cannabis program that has limits on THC medicine. Iowa has the nation’s most restrictive, most unworkable, and least compassionate medical cannabis program.

    Iowans who want to fix our state’s broken medical cannabis program should contact their legislators, especially Republicans, before the Legislature adjourns.

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  • Senate Republicans fail to support bipartisan effort to restore voting rights

    April 4, 2019

    Statement by Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen
    on failure of Senate Republicans to support bipartisan effort to restore voting rights

    “Like most Iowans, we cheered when the Iowa House – on a 95-2 vote – approved a key priority of Governor Reynolds: restoring voting rights of felons.

    “It is shameful that Senator Brad Zaun and other Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee killed this priority legislation for the 2019 session.

    “We agreed with the Governor when she said the bipartisan vote in the Iowa House was ‘a victory for Iowans who deserve a second chance.’

    “Senate Democrats will work next year with the Governor and any willing members of the Senate Republican caucus to move House Joint Resolution 14 forward and to ensure that Iowans are allowed a vote on this important issue.

    “In the meantime, we urge the Governor to use her authority to issue an executive as soon as possible to restore felon voting rights.”

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  • Statement on passing of  former Iowa Supreme Court Justice Daryl Hecht

    April 3, 2019

    Statement by Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen
    on the passing of  former Iowa Supreme Court Justice Daryl Hecht

    “We lost a former member of the Iowa Supreme Court today who did the right thing even when it wasn’t easy.

    “Justice Daryl Hecht was a leader and advocate for the civil rights of all Iowans. Whether by ensuring marriage equality, protecting the rights of women to make their own health care decisions or guaranteeing free speech, his judicial independence improved the lives of thousands and thousands of Iowans.

    “Justice Hecht’s family, colleagues and friends are in our thoughts today.”

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  • More problems for Iowa health care | Sign our petition

    Privatized, for-profit Medicaid continues to cause chaos and uncertainty for Iowa families, health care providers and taxpayers.

    On Friday, we learned that UnitedHealthcare is leaving Iowa’s managed care program. UnitedHealthcare currently is the MCO for over 70 percent of Iowans on Medicaid. That means 425,000 Iowans will again have their health care disrupted, as they are forced to switch insurance companies. This could put our most vulnerable in life or death situations.

    Governor Reynolds says that United HealthCare is unwilling to be held accountable for the quality of its services. United Healthcare claims they’re leaving due “to underfunding and the inability to create a path forward with sustainable funding.”

    Iowans are not interested in a “he said, she said” between MCOs and the Governor. The bottom line is that “three years into our costly Medicaid privatization experiment, Iowa’s dominant managed-care organization (MCO) still can’t handle normal business practices like paying health care providers on time.”

    This is just the latest in a series of problems that have plagued privatized Medicaid since its inception three years ago. Democrats have offered ideas for meaningful improvements—but time and again, they fall on deaf ears.

    Elected officials should listen to Iowans who depend on Medicaid, and to health care providers, family care givers and tax payers. Together, Iowans can fix our broken health care system. We can turn this problem into a success that will make our state healthier, stronger and a more attractive place to live.

    If you agree, please sign our petition and join Democratic lawmakers in calling on Statehouse Republicans to fix Iowa’s failed Medicaid privatization experiment. Go to iowansforqualitymedicaid.com to sign the petition—and share it with others who share our concerns!

  • Getting the help you need to recover from a disaster

    We hope these documents are useful to Iowans, businesses, organizations and communities affected by recent flooding.

    Link: Iowa DHS Disaster Assistance Programs

    Documents below:

    • Public Assistance Tips
    • Public Assistance Program & Policy Guide: Navigation Tips & Tricks
    • 2019 Guide to IA Disaster Assistance

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Public-Assistance-Tips.pdf” title=”Public Assistance Tips”]

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/PAPPG_Navigation_Tips_and_Tricks_2-1-2017.pdf”]

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/2019-Guide-to-IA-Disaster-Assistance-full-page.pdf” title=”2019 Guide to IA Disaster Assistance – full page”]

  • Senate Democrats to host listening post in Muscatine

  • Emergency Action to stop private school vouchers

    ACTION ALERT: We believe a vote on private school vouchers will be held at the Senate Education Committee meeting TODAY at 2 PM in room 22. This is the last scheduled meeting before the funnel deadline.

    IMMEDIATELY:

    1) Call the Senate Switchboard (1515-281-3371) and leave a message for your Senators.

    2) Send an email to the Republican members of the committee today. Addresses are below.

    amy.sinclair@legis.iowa.gov
    chris.cournoyer@legis.iowa.gov
    jerry.behn@legis.iowa.gov
    jeff.edler@legis.iowa.gov
    craig.johnson@legis.iowa.gov
    tim.kraayenbrink@legis.iowa.gov
    mark.lofgren@legis.iowa.gov
    ken.rozenboom@legis.iowa.gov
    annette.sweeney@legis.iowa.gov
    brad.zaun@legis.iowa.gov

    The proposed legislation is similar to a bill proposed last year by Senate GOP President Schneider. LSA estimated the cost of that bill to be $265 million annually.

    More information:
    Senator Celsi oped: http://bit.ly/2UneQBP-DM-Register-Celsi-Vouchers

    Senator Wahls WHO Radio: https://www.facebook.com/IowaSenateDemocrats/videos/570267840159975/

  • What Iowans are saying

    Iowans want decent-paying jobs, affordable health care and the chance to lead a good life. In recent years, however, we’ve seen stagnant wages, rising health care costs and more Iowans living paycheck to paycheck. Iowans deserve better.

    In a survey earlier this session, Senate Democrats asked what you think can best help everyday Iowans. The table below summarizes your top responses.

    Many Iowans also shared their thoughts on how we can move Iowa forward. Here’s a sample of what you had to say:

    • Jobs – “Iowans I know are working two or more jobs without healthcare benefits to stay afloat. They live paycheck to paycheck with no financial reserves for something as basic as a car repair or an unexpected illness. Thousands of Iowans are barely surviving financially rather than living this wonderful middle class life we keep hearing about. This is true throughout the state and is deeply felt in rural Iowa.” –Mary from Ottumwa
    • Worker training – “Keep improving our community colleges, to expand the trade programs. Our state needs trained workers to fill jobs that are screaming for applicants.” –Ron from Eldridge
    • Rural Iowa – “We need to have more industry of all kinds and technology jobs in rural areas to improve economies of small towns so that people are not moving away to cities and out of state.” -Linda from Spencer
    • Health care – “I hear on a regular basis how parents have had to quit jobs to take care of disabled children. Patients are having to forgo medication because insurance won’t pay for it even if they have tried other medications or been on the medications for years.” –Melissa from Coralville
    • Education – “I’m a parent with a child in kindergarten and I substitute for the same school district, and from both sides, I can see the need to give more funds in education. Our children are the future, we should be giving them the best education we can and paying teacher’s a better wage too for all they deal with.” –Lisa from Clinton

    Thank you to all who offered their input. I am committed to Putting Iowans First by focusing on our shared values of fairness, compassion, dignity, equality and liberty.

    Please continue giving your feedback to ensure we do all we can to help you, your family and your community. Working together, we can get Iowa back on the right track.