State officials say the 560-thousand Iowans who get their health care coverage through government-paid Medicaid should be getting a new card in the mail soon. Iowa’s Medicaid program will be managed by three private companies starting April 1st. Iowa Medicaid director Mikki Stier says those companies started to print and mail out “welcome packets” this week, with new beneficiary cards inside.
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Stier testified before an Iowa Senate committee and she assured legislators everything was ready for the April 1st switch. Legislators are skeptical. Senate President Pam Jochum (YOH-kum) of Dubuque says only four family doctors in her city have agreed to continue seeing Medicaid patients once the managed care companies take over.
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The contracts state officials negotiated with the three managed care companies calls for 90 percent of all claims from doctors, hospitals and other care givers to be paid or denied within 14 days. All claims must be paid or denied within 90 days. If one of the three companies routinely fails to meet those standards, state officials can pursue a variety of penalties, including cancelling the contract with that managed care company.