Will proposed cuts to Medicaid hurt Iowans who need it? State Representative Josh Turek says the cuts will hit vulnerable Iowans as well as hospitals and nursing homes. Proponents of the bill point to a $50 billion rural hospital fund.
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‘It’s a horrific bill’: Iowa lawmaker says proposed Medicaid cuts will affect most vulnerable
- “Over the last five years, we’ve already lost 31 nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities,” Turek said. “So we’re already talking about a system that is underfunded — with critical shortages oftentimes — and we’re talking about making significant cuts to that. It’s fundamentally wrong.”
- House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said on Wednesday that only able-bodied adults will be removed from Medicaid: “…the fully able-bodied, who are sitting on Medicaid, turning down work. They’re going to be going to get work, but they’re also going to be getting private insurance, which is better for hospitals than Medicaid.”
- According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 50% of adult Iowans on Medicaid are working fulltime. Another 27% are working part-time.
STATEMENT FROM HEARTLAND FAMILY SERVICE
“At Heartland Family Service, 82% of our clients make less than $25,000 per year (2023 data). Therefore, Medicaid is essential for many of our clients to be able to access behavioral health services with HFS and physical health services elsewhere. We oppose limiting that access to care because we know how important and life-saving Medicaid can be.”…