The McCoy Report: Expand Affordable Healthcare in a Cost-Effective Way

By Sen. Matt McCoy

Our state faces a critical question this spring: What’s the best way to expand affordable health care to more Iowans? Our choice is between expanding Medicaid or continuing IowaCare. Expanding Medicaid is the right choice, and it is probably our only choice. Here’s why:

IowaCare is a state-run insurance program providing limited health care services to about 60,000 Iowans who do not currently qualify for Medicaid. Under IowaCare, patients have a very limited choice of doctors and must often travel great distances for care.

In addition, IowaCare does not cover many important services, including mental health care and prescription drugs. The program is also costly. The annual cost to Iowans is $76 million – and that doesn’t include the millions of dollars in uncompensated care provided to IowaCare patients.

How much will Medicaid expansion cost the State of Iowa? Nothing for the first three years, and no more than 10 percent of the overall cost by 2020.

What do you think? Should Iowa expand Medicaid, or stick with IowaCare to provide healthcare for the uninsured? Tell us below in the comments.

In fact, expanding Medicaid is projected to save Iowa up to $206 million over the next seven years.  County governments will save up to $65 million annually, which is good news for property taxpayers. Most importantly, 150,000 uninsured Iowans will have access to high-quality life-saving health care. That’s a plus for families, communities and businesses.

The choice is simple. IowaCare costs more, provides less and helps fewer Iowans. Expanding Medicaid costs less, offers more and helps 150,000 Iowans get the affordable health care they need. 

(Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines, represents District 21, which includes the west part of Des Moines and portions of West Des Moines and Cumming in northwest Warren County. He is an assistant Senate majority leader, chair of the Commerce Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Budget Subcommittee, and he serves on the Appropriations, State Government, Transportation and Ways and Means committees. Contact him at the Senate switchboard at 515-281-3371 during the day, at 515-274-0561 at other times or by email at matt.mccoy@legis.iowa.gov.)