The Democratic Party of Iowa is accusing Governor Kim Reynolds of taking campaign contributions from one of the managed care organizations that is benefiting from the privatization of Medicaid services in the state.
The parent company of Amerigroup has given $2,500 to the Reynolds campaign, some of that arriving just two days before contracts were signed with the private firms. Democratic Party chair Troy Price says the company is “kicking back tax dollars to the Reynolds campaign.”
The companies were awarded a $100 million increase even as some services to disabled Iowans have been cut back. Rick Durham of Ankeny describes one planned cutback that he says will endanger his disabled adult son who can’t cross the street alone. “So my son may be required to lose overnight staff and have electronic sensors that ring into who knows where to cover him at night and that would be a serious danger,” according to Durham.
Durham says they had a case manager with oversaw 30 people — and still do have a good one — but there’s less interaction. “We got lucky but she has a case load of about 60 people. So instead of face to face once a month like we used to have. Now we get a face to face about every three months,” Durham says.
A spokesman for the Reynolds campaign called the accusation false and desperate, and accused Democrats of playing politics with people’s health care. The spokesman said the Governor will continue to focus on providing long-term, sustainable care to Iowans who need it.
(Thanks to Joyce Russell, Iowa Public Radio)