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Senator Peterson criticizes Medicaid privatization on anniversary of policy change
Summary
Senator Peterson said on the Senate floor that privatizing Medicaid, first enacted under Gov. Branstad, has not delivered expected benefits and has coincided with a loss of health services across the state.
Senator Peterson, of Polk, marked the anniversary of Iowa's Medicaid privatization on April 1 by criticizing its outcomes and urging colleagues to consider the impact on health services.
"Today is April 1. It's also the anniversary of when, governor Branstad privatized the Medicaid system. That was supposed to, save the state money and provide better care for Iowans. I still have yet to see anything positive coming out of privatizing Medicaid," Peterson said on the floor. "Our state has lost so many health care services across the state, and I was just curious if any of the Republicans on the other side of the aisle would stand up and talk about how Iowans have potentially benefited from privatized Medicaid because I've yet to see it."
The remarks were a floor statement of policy criticism; no legislation, committee referral or formal motion regarding Medicaid privatization was introduced during the session. Peterson framed the issue as a long-term policy failure, but the floor exchange did not record responses or debate from other named senators in the transcript provided.
