The director of Iowa’s Medicaid program says the state will save about 140-million dollars in the current year because patient care is being managed by private companies, but Mike Randol did not explain why that estimate has tripled since he became Medicaid director in January.

Randol made his comments in a verbal report to the state board appointed by the governor to oversee the agency. Randol then left the room and did not speak with reporters seeking details about how his savings estimate was developed. Senator Pam Jochum, a Democrat from Dubuque, says Randol didn’t address how patients and health care providers have been affected by Medicaid privatization either.

Last week, Republican State Auditor Mary Mosiman announced she will review the agency’s calculations.