Iowa Health and Wellness Plan

If the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan does not meet legal requirements of the Affordable Care Act, will Iowa's backup financing pay the full cost of the Plan beginning January 1, 2014? Or does it mean that recipients of IowaCare will be without health care coverage?

In a reply to my questions to Gov. Branstad about Medicaid Expansion, Michael Bousselot, Branstad's policy advisor, wrote "...The Iowa ...Health and Wellness Plan...will make Iowa a national model and leader for providing quality healthcare to low income individuals in the state. The funding...provides backup financing if and when the Federal government falls through on their promise."

My concern about the third plan since March from Gov. Branstad is that it costs more than Medicaid Expansion. The Affordable Care Act specifically declines state proposals that are higher than Medicaid Expansion. What assurance from Gov. Branstad do we have that his plan will be modified to meet legal requirements? My fear is that if this plan is declined that Branstad will say that he tried and it is the Obama administration’s fault.