Republicans form task force to look at Medicaid system

Republicans have formed a task force to come with reforms for the state’s Medicaid system, which extends government-paid health insurance to the needy. Senate President Mary Kramer, a republican from West Des Moines, is leading the group.Kramer says she wants Iowa to be a pioneer in Medicaid reform the way Wisconsin led the nation in welfare reform. (Wisconsin was the first state to say people can’t stay on welfare indefinitely.) Kramer, who’s a retired insurance company executive, believes it might save money to divide Medicaid recipients into “benefit groups” — with one kind of benefit for young children, another for adults, another for the elderly.Kramer, though, says the reforms won’t get enacted this year.Kramer’s asking private sector industry executives to serve on the task force.