A bill to address some of the problems in Iowa’s Medicaid program has cleared a House committee. The State Ombudsman just released a scathing report on the privately-run program. The bill directs state officials to review any case where services are cut by one of the private companies. Legislators call them managed care organizations or M-C-Os. Republican Representative Dave Heaton of Mount Pleasant says the bill also requires state officials to step in if a patient wins an appeal.
Representative Lisa Heddens, a Democrat from Ames, had been hoping for something tougher.
The bill would require the private companies to pay doctors, hospitals and other health care providers by the contract deadlines — and explain any delays. An independent auditor would randomly check payments, too, if the bill becomes law. Senate Republicans balked at the nearly five-million dollar price tag for a previous version of this bill, so it was scaled back.
