Iowa Medicaid modernization will improve patient care

This week, Iowa Senate Democrats are teaming-up with former Gov. Chet Culver. Culver is holding anti-Medicaid modernization town halls, while Senate Democrats appear poised to pass legislation to terminate the modernization of Iowa's Medicaid system.

Under Culver and the Democrat-controlled Iowa House and Senate, Iowa's Medicaid budget shortfall was $500 million. During that same period, Medicaid costs soared by $900 million, while K - 12 education funding from the General Fund only increased by $259 million.

Today, Iowa's Medicaid costs $4.2 billion annually. Our state's total General Fund budget for FY2015 was approximately $7.2 billion. Medicaid's price tag has increased by 73 percent since 2003. Even worse, Medicaid expenditures, without modernization, are expected to grow by 21 percent more in the coming years.

High-risk Medicaid patients have an average of more than four medical conditions, are under the care of five physicians and more than five prescribers. This isn't quality care. This represents a health care burden for the patient and a tremendous cost to the taxpayer.

Iowa has a choice to offer modernized health care that improves wellness while controlling Medicaid costs for the taxpayers who finance the system.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has stated that Medicaid modernization 'can increase access to quality care for Medicaid beneficiaries, reduce costs, and improve the health of communities.”

Under modernization, benefits do not change. Managed care organizations (MCOs) are contractually required to offer the same benefits Medicaid patients get today. MCOs offer a wide variety of value-added services to improve patient health, reducing taxpayer cost.

Examples include patient access to a 24-hour nurse hotline to ask health care questions. They can receive rewards for living a healthier lifestyle. Nutrition counseling is available under managed care. If a patient visits the emergency room too often, the MCO will set up a primary care doctor appointment for the patient to get quality, regular care from a physician.

Former Gov. Culver and Iowa Senate Democrats push to halt modernization would deny modern health care public policy for Iowa's most vulnerable.

' Jimmy Centers is the executive director of Priorities for Iowa, a nonpartisan 501(c) 4 dedicated to educating Iowans on public policy issues. Comments: Jimmy@PrioritiesForIowa.com.