Government Healthcare Policy, Business and Technology

IA: Legislator: 'We made a mistake' on policy changing Medicaid benefits

Des Moines Register: A bipartisan group of legislators expressed concern Tuesday over a new law that will reduce coverage for thousands of new Medicaid beneficiaries in Iowa.

The changes, which took effect Nov. 1, were tucked into a massive budget bill that was introduced and approved in the chaotic final weeks of the last legislative session. Some lawmakers said they wished they had spent more time reviewing the changes and are concerned about how deeply they may affect patients and providers.

"When we have these cost-containment items, we need to do a better due diligence on them and have more discussion on the floor, especially," said Rep. Dawn Pettengill, a Republican from Mount Auburn and chair of the Administrative Rules Review Committee, which considered the issue Tuesday. "... We'll definitely try to address this (during the next legislative session)."

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