Statement by Senators Kevin Kinney, Amanda Ragan and Jackie Smith on Biden Administration’s decision to support Iowa farmers
Background: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has filed a motion to vacate three waivers given by the Trump administration to Sinclair Oil Corporation refineries that exempted them from biofuel blending mandates.
“This decision by the Biden administration is good news for the renewable fuel industry and Iowa farmers who sell to them. It reverses a terrible decision by the Trump administration to support Big Oil and dampen demand for ethanol, biodiesel and other renewable fuels.
“We need more policies at the state and federal levels to boost – not threaten – the economic well-being of rural communities. We must boost ethanol demand, help farmers and the biofuel industry, and jump-start the farm economy.”
Senators Kinney, Ragan and Smith are members of the Iowa Senate’s Agriculture Committee.
Iowa Senate News Release For Immediate Release: April 17, 2019
Key Iowa Senators applaud investigation by U.S. Inspector General
DES MOINES – The U.S. Office of Inspector General has launched an investigative review of whether federal officials are providing sufficient and appropriate oversight to ensure that people with Medicaid are receiving the care to which they are entitled.
Citing the lack of oversight of privatized Medicaid by Governor Reynolds and the Republican-controlled Legislature, two key Iowa State Senators today praised the new investigation.
“Since it was launched three years ago in Iowa, privatized Medicaid has been unsustainable, unaffordable and unaccountable,” Senator Amanda Ragan of Mason City and Liz Mathis of Hiawatha wrote in a letter to U.S. Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson. “There has been little effort by the Governor or majority party in the Iowa General Assembly to provide proper oversight for the out-of-state managed care organizations (MCOs).”
The Senators added: “Medicaid advocates, policymakers and other taxpayers deserve an investigation by the Inspector General that provides an answer to the question that we have asked since the start of Medicaid privatization in Iowa: Are some MCOs putting the bottom line ahead of patient health and safety?”
The Inspector General initiated the review of the oversight role of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at the request of U.S. Senator Robert Casey of Pennsylvania, Ranking Member of the Special Committee on Aging.
In his request, Casey cited reports from across the country “alleging that some Medicaid managed care companies (MCOs) continuously deny care to patients sorely in need of care. In some cases, patients have experienced entirely preventable life-altering harms.”
“Medicaid is emblematic of who we are as a nation, reflecting who we value and the ideals we are willing to fight for,” Casey added. “We must ensure Medicaid MCOs live up to these ideals and provide Americans with the health care that they deserve.”
In its description of the investigation, the Inspector General acknowledges that privatized Medicaid “can create an incentive to deny beneficiaries’ access to covered services.”
“Our review will determine whether Medicaid MCOs complied with Federal requirements when denying access to requested medical and dental services and drug prescriptions that required prior authorization,” the agency’s website states.
DES MOINES — Two health care leaders in the Iowa Senate have introduced legislation to make significant reforms to Iowa’s privatized Medicaid system.
Senate File 156, the Senate Democratic Medicaid Improvement Bill, has been introduced by Senators Amanda Ragan of Mason City and Liz Mathis of Hiawatha. They are, respectively, the ranking members of the Senate Health & Human Services Budget Committee and the Senate Human Resources Committee.
“Governor Reynolds and legislative Republicans are sticking with privatized Medicaid,” Ragan said. “Given that, our focus is making urgently needed improvements. We are proposing large and small improvements to how privatized Medicaid serves Iowa families and healthcare providers.”
“Iowans need privatized Medicaid to do three things and do them well,” Mathis said. “One, make sure Iowans get the healthcare services they need when they need them. Two, make sure Iowa healthcare providers are correctly paid for the work they do and paid on time. Three, key Medicaid decisions should be made by Iowans rather than by employees of out-of-state, for-profit companies.”
News Conference Video:
Senate File 156 Highlights
Senate File 156 would make these changes to Iowa’s privatized Medicaid on behalf of Iowa patients and providers:
Return the Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) population to publicly managed Medicaid
The MCOs are supposed to make money by helping sick people get better and thereby lowering costs. Many Iowans suffering the most from privatized Medicaid system are Iowans living with severe, complex, permanent disabilities and conditions. Because these Iowans aren’t going to “get better,” denying care and cutting needed services is largely the only way to “save money.” This is unacceptable.
Require independent conflict-free case management and assessments
There is an inherent conflict of interest in privatized managed care. Case management and patient assessments are both performed by employees of the MCO that pays for the care of those patients. Assessments are more accurate when made by an independent entity and coordinated by case managers who put the patient’s best interest first.
End the practice of requiring prior authorization for substance abuse treatment
Every substance abuse counselor knows that an immediate response is essential when someone requests treatment. “Medication assisted treatment” can quickly take away the cravings once it begins. However, waiting for prior authorizations results in missed opportunities or even overdose deaths that could have been prevented.
Require MCOs to develop and implement workforce recruitment, retention and training programs
Iowa has a severe health care workforce shortage. The MCOs now manage the care of some 600,000 Iowans. Every other major health care provider and insurer in the state of Iowa contributes time, talent, and money to efforts to expand and improve Iowa’s health care workforce. This legislation will require the MCOs to join that effort.
Implement an external review process for providers
Today, when the MCOs deny a claim, an Iowa health care provider can only attempt to negotiate with MCO that denied the claim. When commercial health insurers deny claims, providers can appeal to an external reviewer. This legislation establishes a similar appeal system when the MCOs refuse to pay for care.
Make it easier and quicker for members to switch MCOs
If a local doctor decides to switch the MCO he or she contracts with, that doctor’s patients must be able switch COs if they want to continue seeing that doctor. Currently, patients must wait up to 45 days before they can ask DHS to approve a change for good cause. This is an unusually long and burdensome process for Iowans. This legislation would allow patients to request that DHS approve an MCO switch after 10 days.
Move the Managed Care Ombudsman Program to the State Ombudsman’s Office
Independent advocates for Iowans are an absolute necessary if Iowa managed care is going to work. Iowa’s Long Term Care Ombudsman has only one full-time managed care ombudsman. There could be three to four more working for Iowa families and health care providers if we took full advantage of federal matching funds. The MCO ombudsman services should be moved to the State Ombudsman Office.
Senate Democratsrelease updated committee assignmentsfor 2019 session of the Iowa Legislature
DES MOINES — Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen released updated committee assignments today for Democratic State Senators for the 2019 session of the Iowa Legislature.
A statement from Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen on the updated assignments:
“In early December, I deferred making committee assignments for Senator Boulton until the Senate Ethics Committee completed its investigation into the complaint filed against him.
“Senator Boulton’s position in the Iowa Senate was preserved by the Senate Ethics Committee ruling. He is expected to uphold the duties of his office while he remains in the Iowa Senate, including working on new committee assignments.”
The 88th General Assembly will begin at 10 a.m. Monday, January 14, 2019.
Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen released committee assignments today for Democratic State Senators for the 2019 session of the Iowa Legislature.
“Democratic Senators are committed to working with the Governor and Republican legislators on issues where we can find common ground over the next two years, especially ensuring Iowans have access to affordable health care and better-paying job opportunities,” Petersen said.
“However, if Republicans continue pushing an agenda that hurts the health care, education and pocketbooks of working Iowans, we will be fierce in our opposition.”
The 88th General Assembly will begin on Monday, January 14, 2019.
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Standing Committees
Agriculture
13 total members
1. Kinney –RM
2. Mathis
3. Ragan
4. R. Taylor
5. Wahls
Appropriations
21 members
1. Bolkcom –RM
2. Celsi
3. Dotzler
4. Lykam
5. Mathis
6. Ragan
7. T. Taylor
8. Wahls
Iowa Senate News Release
For immediate release: November 11, 2018
Democratic members of the Iowa Senate re-elected Sen. Janet Petersen today to serve as the Democratic Leader of the Iowa Senate.
Senator Petersen released this statement:
“I am honored to have the continued support of my fellow Democratic Senators.”
“For the past two years, the Republican-led Senate pushed through damaging policies that helped out-of-state companies and special interests instead of hard-working Iowa families.
“Senate Democrats will continue standing up for Iowans. We believe every Iowan – regardless of whether they live in rural areas, small towns, urban or suburban parts of our state – deserves access to affordable health care, strong public schools, and the chance to get ahead in life.
“We will work with the Governor and Republican legislators on issues where we can find common ground over the next two years. But, if we continue to see Republicans push an agenda that hurts the health care, education, and financial security of working Iowans, we will be fierce in our opposition.”
The new Democratic leadership team consists of these Senators:
Democratic Leader, Senator Janet Petersen, Des Moines
Democratic Whip, Senator Amanda Ragan, Mason City
Assistant Leaders:
Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City
Senator Bill Dotzler, Waterloo
Senator Pam Jochum of Dubuque
Senator Liz Mathis, Hiawatha
Senator Herman Quirmbach, Ames
Senator Rich Taylor, Mount Pleasant
Petersen is in her second term in the Iowa Senate after serving six terms in the Iowa House. She represents Senate District 18 in northwest Des Moines.
In 2008, Petersen founded a nonprofit organization with four other central Iowa women called Healthy Birth Day. The organization, best known for its Count the Kicks campaign, is devoted to preventing stillbirths and improving birth outcomes.
Petersen and her husband Brian Pattinson have three children.
My name is Tali Tesar. I’m an 18-year-old high school senior from Clear Lake, and I recently had the wonderful opportunity to serve as a page for the 2018 Iowa Senate session.
I have always been interested in politics, so I was thrilled when I discovered there is a way to get involved at a young age. I believe that it’s important to gain real-world experience in a career field before deciding to go into it, whether through a job shadow, internship or a paid work. I hoped being a page would help me figure out if politics is where I should be headed.
The experience solidified my conviction. It also helped me learn more than most people will ever know about the process, the people and the behind-the-scenes activity that goes into lawmaking.
Tali Tesar talks with Senator Ragan about her experience as a page at the Statehouse.
Perhaps the most important lesson I learned is how crucial a role government plays in the lives of every citizen. From health care to education to taxes, legislators spend countless hours trying to do what is best for Iowans, especially those who are less privileged. It is incredibly empowering to witness that.
It was also exhilarating to feel that I was part of something bigger than myself, even though my responsibilities weren’t always exciting and often involved running around the Capitol on errands for senators. I will cherish fun memories with my fellow pages, watching emotional debates and spending some late nights on the job.
I head to Grinnell College to study political science in the fall with experience and connections that give me a head start. To any high school students interested in a career in politics or in becoming a more informed voter, working as a page is worth considering.
I’d be happy to answer questions about my experience and what you could expect from a semester as a page. Just send an email to ttesar18@gmail.com.
News Release For Immediate Release: February 21, 2018
DES MOINES — Four key Democratic state legislators today denounced plans by officials with Governor Kim Reynolds’s Administration to have a closed-door meeting to discuss the failed Medicaid privatization experiment.
The four legislators – Senators Amanda Ragan and Liz Mathis and Representatives Lisa Heddens and Beth Wessel-Kroeschell – were reacting to plans by Iowa Medicaid Director Michael Randol to hold a closed-door meeting with Medicaid providers on Thursday, February 22.
The stated purpose of the meeting is to identify and discuss payment issues that Iowa health care providers are having with privatized Medicaid.
Here’s a joint statement from the four Democratic legislators:
“This meeting should be open to the public because problems with Medicaid affect all Iowa taxpayers, more than 600,000 Medicaid members and healthcare providers across the state.
“Hundreds of hospitals, nursing homes and other Iowa healthcare providers face financial jeopardy because of Medicaid privatization. This issue affects Iowans in every county.
“If there’s going to be a bipartisan solution to this problem, more – not fewer – Iowans should be at the table for the discussion.”
Requests by legislators to attend the meeting have been denied.
The four legislators also renewed their concerns about a proposal by the Reynolds Administration to eliminate much of the oversight for the privatized Medicaid program.
Sen. Ragan and Rep. Heddens are ranking members of their respective Health and Human Services Appropriations subcommittees, and Sen. Mathis and Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell are ranking members of their respective Human Resources committees.
Iowa Senate News Release For Immediate Release: January 29, 2018
Listening Post
10 AM on Saturday, Feb. 3 Mason City Public Library
State Senator Amanda Ragan and State Representative Sharon Steckman will hold a legislative listening post this Saturday, February 3. The meeting will take place from 10 AM to 11:30 AM in the Mason City room at the Mason City Public Library, 225 2nd St. SE, Mason City.
The event is free and all are welcome to attend.
The legislators will provide an update on the 2018 legislative session. Constituents will have the opportunity to ask questions, and share concerns and ideas on issues under consideration at the Statehouse.
Iowa Senate News Release
For Immediate Release: January 24, 2018
DES MOINES — A group of Senators introduced legislation today to ensure that state employees – not all Iowa taxpayers – would be financially responsible for egregious and illegal workplace behavior.
“Iowans are disgusted by the harassment, discrimination and retaliation against Kirsten Anderson and other legislative staff by some Republican Senators and staff members,” said Senator Tod Bowman of Maquoketa, the legislation’s main sponsor. “Most Iowans can’t believe they’re on the hook for $1.75 million because of the misconduct and mismanagement of some Republican Senators. Especially in a tight budget year, this money should be put towards our kids’ education, job training programs or mental health care. Taxpayers expect more from their leaders.”
The legislation is proposed in the wake of a jury decision last year to award $2.25 million to former Senate Republican staffer Kirsten Anderson in a sexual harassment lawsuit she brought against Iowa Senate Republicans. Anderson was fired in May 2013, just seven hours after filing a complaint alleging a sexually hostile work environment. Subsequently, Anderson agreed to a reduced award of $1.75 million to avoid a lengthy appeal process.
Under current law, Iowa taxpayers must pay for such awards, and there’s no recourse for state officials to recoup that money from offending state employees.
The legislation introduced today – which is sponsored by all 20 Democratic State Senators and independent Senator David Johnson – would allow the plaintiff to receive an award from the state but would require the Iowa Attorney General to recover the amount of the award from offending state employees.
The legislation applies to state employment cases, which includes hostile work environment cases involving sexual harassment, race, religion, age or disability.
“This proposed legislation is part of the national conversation about preventing sexual harassment in the workplace,” Bowman said. “We must send a message to legislators and other state employees who harass their co-workers or subordinates that their conduct will not be tolerated and that they will be held responsible for their illegal behavior.”
“This legislation is another important step in our efforts to improve the workplace culture in the Iowa Senate and our commitment to making sure the Statehouse is a safe and healthy environment.”
