Issue Position: Fix the Medicaid Mess and Health Care

Rob Hogg supports state policies that improve health and provide access to health care for all Iowans. He believes state government, in cooperation with the federal government, has a duty to provide a health care safety net for all Iowans. Unfortunately, Governor Reynolds and the Republican majority in the Iowa Legislature are taking us in the wrong direction on health policy.

Governor Reynolds is continuing the Medicaid privatization mess that she started with Governor Branstad in 2015. Privatization of the administration of Medicaid is hurting patients (who have had services delayed or denied), health care providers (who have had payments delayed or denied), and taxpayers (who must now pay for the profits of out-of-state insurance companies for services previously provided by Iowa public workers).

We have a provider shortage in Iowa, but Governor Reynolds and the Republican majority in the Iowa Legislature cut state funding for medical training at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and Broadlawns by $8.1 million (SF2418).

We have a mental health crisis in Iowa, but Branstad and Reynolds closed two of the state's mental health institutes, in Mount Pleasant and Clarinda, and along with Republican legislators cut $1.7 million from the state's two remaining mental health institutes (HF653).

Tobacco use rates are increasing again, but in 2017, Governor Branstad and Republican legislators cut tobacco prevention funding by $1.2 million a year (HF653).

We have widespread substance abuse problems including the opioid crisis, but Governor Reynolds and Republican legislators have cut substance abuse treatment by $2.5 million a year, as part of overall cuts to the Department of Public Health (SF130/SF2117/SF2418).

In 2017, Governor Branstad and the Republican majority ended a federally-funded family planning program -- to disqualify the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and Planned Parenthood -- at the cost of millions of dollars being used to create an ineffective state program in its place (HF653).

Rob Hogg supports fixing the Medicaid privatization mess as quickly as possible. He supports reinstating the family planning program that funded prevention services by Planned Parenthood and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He supports medical education funding so we can have the health care workforce we need. He supports restoring funding for substance abuse treatment, tobacco prevention, and mental health.

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