Iowa awarded federal health grant

DES MOINES – Iowa has been awarded $3 million in yearly community transformation grants under the federal health reform law – a measure that Gov. Terry Branstad has joined other Republicans in seeking to overturn via court challenge.

Iowa's award was among the first $100 million in annual allotments announced Tuesday by the federal Department of Health and Human Services under the Affordable Care Act, which President Obama successfully pushed through Congress and now GOP presidential challengers vow to undue if Republicans regain control of the White House in the 2012 election. States have the option to apply for renewal of the grants for an additional four years.

Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht said the money will aid in the governor's effort to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation.

“Gov. Branstad continues to believe President Obama's health care mandate is unconstitutional and is confident the lawsuit challenging this legislation will be successful,” Albrecht said in a statement.

“The federal health care legislation forces significant costs upon the states, and Iowa will have no choice but to implement this legislation should the lawsuit fail. As such, the funds announced today will be used toward wellness efforts in an attempt to lower the costs of the expensive health care mandate President Obama has forced upon the states,” Albrecht added. “If we fail to comply with the federal health care legislation, the penalties and fees will be far worse.”

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, a strong backer of the federal legislation, issued a statement saying the investments in prevention “will pay huge dividends” for Iowa in the years to come. “By dedicating resources to preventing obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other very costly conditions and diseases, we have a tremendous opportunity both to improve quality of life for Americans and to control health care spending,” Harkin said in a news release.