Bringing Value to Iowa’s Medicaid Program

A fundamental flaw of Iowa’s current Medicaid managed care arrangement is its failure to provide value. After closely reviewing current research and examining effective Medicaid solutions from other states, Iowa’s hospitals believe there is a better way, a “Third Way” that puts Medicaid back under state control and evolves the program beyond the volume-based fee-for-service model – a way that creates and sustains value at a level that is simply impossible under the profit-driven private managed care organizations.

Rural Areas Benefit from Medicaid Expansion

“Expanding Medicaid has had a very positive impact on small towns and rural communities,” said Georgetown University researcher Joan Alker. “Improved coverage rates typically translate to a more stable health care system and help rural areas and small towns maintain availability of health care providers in areas where shortages are all too common. Access to rural health providers is especially important to women of child-bearing age and those with chronic conditions.”

Iowa Hospitals Provide Community Benefit

A statewide survey by the Iowa Hospital Association shows Iowa hospitals provided community benefits in 2017 valued at nearly $881 million, including more than $224 million in charity care. Community benefits are activities designed to improve health status and provide greater access to health care. Along with uncompensated care (which is made up of both charity care and bad debt), community benefits include such services and programs as health screenings, support groups, counseling, immunizations, nutritional services and transportation programs.

Healthy LifeStars challenges childhood obesity in Iowa

Nationally, one in three children is overweight or obese and obesity rates for Iowa children have increased in recent years. Iowa is now ranked 30th among the 51 states and territories for childhood obesity and Iowa has the 13th highest adult obesity rate in the nation. Healthy LifeStars was founded in 2003 to address childhood obesity and has reached more than 35,000 kids in Arizona and Colorado. In 2018, it launched programs in Iowa and Ohio and has the goal of growing nationwide.

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