The 13 candidates running for governor in Iowa, who gathered at a forum last week agreed there is a need for more long-term care options for mentally ill Iowans. Three of the candidates support reopening the state-run Mental Health Institutes in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant. Nearly all agree the insurance companies managing care for Medicaid patients have created “chaos” for those dealing with a mental illness.
Republican Governor Kim Reynolds recorded a brief video message that was played during the event.
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Former Iowa Democratic Party chairwoman Andy McGuire, a doctor who’s running for governor, scoffed.
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More than four-hundred people attended the forum. It was organized by The Des Moines Register and hosted by Des Moines University and the Iowa Hospital Association.
