Iowa

TexasTowelie

(116,554 posts) Wed Jun 14, 2017, 06:01 AM Jun 2017

Disabled Iowans, fed up with cuts under privatized Medicaid, sue Gov. Reynolds

Iowa’s roiling controversy over its for-profit Medicaid management spilled into federal court Tuesday when six Iowans with disabilities filed a lawsuit against Gov. Kim Reynolds.

The lawsuit alleges that the state’s chaotic shift to a privately run Medicaid program is depriving thousands of Iowans with disabilities the legal right to live safely outside of care facilities. The suit holds Reynolds and her human services director responsible for the private management companies' actions.

“They are violating very basic human rights, but also very basic Medicaid law, rules and regulations. They’re just totally disregarding them,” said Roxanne Conlin, a Des Moines civil-rights lawyer who helped write the lawsuit. “It’s kind of amazing to see how callous they are toward Iowa’s most vulnerable people.”

The prominent advocacy group Disability Rights Iowa organized the lawsuit against Reynolds and the director of the Department of Human Services. The group wants a federal judge to order the state to halt discriminatory cuts in services to 15,000 Iowans with serious disabilities.

Read more: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/investigations/2017/06/13/disabled-iowans-medicaid-privatization-lawsuit/370484001/

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Disabled Iowans, fed up with cuts under privatized Medicaid, sue Gov. Reynolds (Original Post) TexasTowelie Jun 2017 OP

If republicans mercuryblues Jun 2017 #1

This is affecting my own family. emmadoggy Jun 2017 #2

... progressoid Jun 2017 #3

Thanks, Progressoid. emmadoggy Jun 2017 #4

mercuryblues

(15,077 posts)

1. If republicans

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Wed Jun 14, 2017, 08:11 AM

Jun 2017

get their way this will be a national epidemic.

emmadoggy

(2,142 posts)

2. This is affecting my own family.

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Wed Jun 14, 2017, 04:08 PM

Jun 2017

My niece has Down Syndrome, and my sister told me that she is losing her case worker. In addition, due to the privately managed Medicaid - these ridiculous "MCO's" - she is in danger of losing her health care team at Iowa City OR her local team. She is on coumadin for the rest of her life and has to have weekly INR checks, and needs regular medical care locally, but also has a LOT of care provided at U of I for the more major stuff (the local doctors can't/won't handle those needs due to her medical history). But the current MCO she is using is in contract negotiations with the local medical facility and is unlikely to renew the contract. She COULD switch to another MCO in order to keep coverage with that facility, but then she would lose Iowa City because they only contract with ONE MCO! It's a disaster.