Grassley: Iowa Medicaid Waiver Official
WASHINGTON — Sen. Chuck Grassley today said that the Department of Health and Human Services notified him late Friday afternoon that Iowa’s Medicaid waiver proposal was officially approved.
"These are the kinds of creative ideas that will help further the debate to place Medicaid on a more sound financial footing. This groundbreaking effort will preserve the Medicaid program in Iowa," Grassley said.
Grassley said that the Iowa waiver proposal provides important guideposts for the future of Medicaid. "The state has willingly abandoned provider taxes that have served as a source of great controversy over the years. The state has also made performance a critical component for the evaluation of the Medicaid program. Iowa has pledged itself to improve the quality of care Medicaid recipients receive and for that they should be praised," Grassley added.
Iowa’s waiver expands the program to cover 30,000 new recipients. It contains principles similar to the Money Follows the Person proposal Grassley hopes to move through the Finance Committee later this summer. It allows differential benefits for different populations with different need.
The Finance Committee has been working diligently to find savings in the Medicaid program so that states like Iowa are relieved of the fiscal pressures they are facing. Grassley has held three hearings as chairman of the Finance Committee this year to look at ways to improve the Medicaid program. The hearings have identified many areas where Congress can find appropriate savings that would be shared between state and federal budgets and would protect the program for those who rely upon it for their health care coverage.
Grassley said that many people worked in a bipartisan manner to make this announcement reality. He praised Governor Vilsack and his staff and the Iowa Senate and House in bringing the Medicaid waiver proposal to CMS. He said that Secretary Leavitt, Administrator McClellan, Director Dennis Smith, and the CMS employees also deserve praise for their review and, ultimately, approval of the Iowa Medicaid waiver request.
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