Needy Iowans need a leadership change

I have a friend who works with Medicaid recipients, low income and people with disabilities. My question: 'How has Medicaid privatization affected your clients?” The answer wasn't good.

Action taken by Govs. Terry Branstad and Kim Reynolds to privatize and diminish services has hurt many people. There was no input from the Legislature or private citizens.

Our state went from a well-run program with fully trained and competent staff to services provided by out-of-state companies. Branstad claimed savings would total $232 million. At the end of 2017, the Iowa Department of Human Services estimated $47 million in savings for that year. There are no documents that show these savings.

Medicaid privatization has resulted in fewer people receiving service and/or cuts in the needed level of care. These can be cuts in caregiver time, wheelchairs, prescription drugs, and many more items. Providers of these services are more slowly reimbursed and sometimes not given full payment.

Users of Medicaid have little voice of their own and the good and caring people of Iowa must keep asking for quality care for our most vulnerable. Fred Hubbell is a person who cares and who will do something about it when he is elected governor.

A vote for Hubbell is a vote for better care of our needy fellow Iowans.

Marilyn Schnittjer

Mount Vernon