The ACA has fulfilled its promise to extend health care coverage to millions of Americans, who in turn are no longer existing on the edges of the health care system. But health care advocates must remain aware of seemingly small changes that in fact are already undermining the ACA’s progress and increasing the number of Americans who are uninsured.
Read MoreIowa hospitals and other providers are urging legislators – and asking Iowans to join – to resist any further cuts to budget items that support Iowa hospitals or the Medicaid program and to restore retroactive Medicaid enrollment for all providers. Iowa’s budget should not be balanced on the backs of its most vulnerable citizens and those who provide them health care.
Read MoreIowa Mental health advocates turned out in force for the March 28 signing of two important bills recently passed unanimously by the Iowa Legislature. Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the bills in the Rotunda of the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines. “We are excited about the significant progress these bills represent in improving our mental health system,” said Peggy Huppert, executive director of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Iowa. “They’ve both been a long time coming. To see them pass unanimously and be signed on the same day is thrilling.”
Read MoreIn 2016, about 13 percent of the US population lived in poverty. Children continue to live disproportionately in poverty: children represent 23 percent of the population, but 33 percent of the population living in poverty. Research shows that Medicaid helps pull families out of poverty by providing access to affordable health coverage and lowering out-of-pocket costs. Here are some examples of that research.
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