Iowans disapprove of Branstad’s plans for health care: Poll

DES MOINES - Iowa voters largely disapprove of Gov. Terry Branstad's plans to shift Medicaid management to private businesses and to close state-run mental health institutes, a new poll says.

The poll also says a majority of Iowa voters favor increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, and half favor legal same-sex marriage.

A poll by the liberal-leaning Public Policy Polling published Wednesday says 12 percent of Iowa voters support closing the state mental health institutes in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant and 22 percent support moving Medicaid to managed-care organizations.

'Iowans are strongly opposed to Governor Branstad's plans to privatize Medicaid and close mental health facilities,” said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling. 'Even voters within his own party don't support him on these initiatives.”

Only 19 percent of self-identified Republicans said they support closing the mental health facilities, and 50 percent of Republicans said they oppose it.

Republicans support the Medicaid shift by 36 percent for to 26 percent against.

Overall, more than two-thirds of voters polled oppose closing the mental health institutes and more than half oppose the Medicaid shift.

The state's top public-employee union and a progressive advocacy group on Wednesday criticized Branstad in light of the poll results.

Branstad's spokesman said both decisions were made in an effort to modernize critical services.

'Governor Branstad, on recommendation from DHS, proposed moving to two state institutions because it will mean better, more modern mental health care for Iowa patients,” spokesman Jimmy Centers said in an email response.

'In addition ... Branstad wants to modernize Iowa's Medicaid system, tying the patient and the quality of their outcome to payment received,” Centers added.

other issues

The poll also asked Iowa voters what they think about the minimum wage and same-sex marriage.

Half of the poll respondents said they think same-sex marriage should be legal in Iowa. That is the highest number shown in Public Policy Polling's Iowa polls, the organization said.

Forty-one percent said they oppose legalized same-sex marriage, and 10 percent said they were not sure.

Same-sex marriages became legal in Iowa as the result of a 2009 Iowa Supreme Court decision.

When asked by Public Policy Polling whether legal same-sex marriage has had an effect in their lives, 64 percent of Iowans said it has had 'no impact at all.” Twenty percent said legal same-sex marriage has had a negative impact on their life, and 16 percent said it has had a positive impact.