Federal officials say the State of Iowa isn’t ready to move the 560-thousand Iowans who’re on Medicaid into managed care networks on January 1st. Senator Amanda Ragan (RAY-gun), a Democrat from Mason City, has been raising concerns about the move and she’s praising the 60-day delay federal officials are now requiring….
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Ragan says it’s a relief to Iowans who haven’t been able to figure out if their doctor, hospital or caregiver was part of one of the new networks….
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Officials in the U.S. Department of Human Services sent Governor Terry Branstad a letter Thursday, indicating they’ll ultimately approve the move, but they will require a 60-day delay to respond to concerns about the speed of the switch.
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Ragan says the checklist of concerns supplied by officials from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is long, but will ensure the most vulnerable Iowans are well-served by the private companies that will start managing their health care coverage. Federal officials say the governor’s January 1st target date would have caused “serious disruptions” for Iowa Medicaid beneficiaries. Branstad is stressing that his administration now has a “green light” to implement the switch on March 1st. Branstad says he’s confident switching to private management of the state’s Medicaid program will help improve “patient outcomes” and save the state money.
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