Laughable spin casts Reynolds as hero of latest Medicaid fiasco
When a government press release arrives at 4:45 pm on a Friday, you know it’s not bearing good news. UnitedHealthcare will soon pull out of Iowa’s Medicaid program, the governor’s office announced on March 29. The company “manages health care for more than two-thirds of Iowans on Medicaid,” at least 425,000 people, Tony Leys reported for the Des Moines Register.
The official spin portrayed Governor Kim Reynolds as a hero who resisted a for-profit insurer’s “unreasonable” and “unacceptable” demands.
The real story is that nearly three years into our costly Medicaid privatization experiment, Iowa’s dominant managed-care organization (MCO) still can’t handle normal business practices like paying health care providers on time.
WHO PULLED THE PLUG?
The governor’s news release cast Reynolds as the change agent.
“From the day I was sworn in as Governor I have been committed to ensuring a sustainable managed care program that protects patients, supports providers, and holds the insurance companies accountable.
“We have continued to work in good faith, along with the legislature to make improvements to the managed care system, including a substantial increase to funding this past year.
“Unfortunately, UnitedHealthcare continued to make additional demands that I found to be unacceptable, including a provision that would remove pay for performance measures that would hold them accountable.
“I want to assure Iowans that the state will work closely with UnitedHealthcare over the next several months to minimize disruption and ensure a smooth transition to the two other managed care companies.”
Read more: https://www.bleedingheartland.com/2019/03/31/laughable-spin-casts-reynolds-as-hero/
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