Statewide Iowa — (RI) — State Auditor Mary Mosiman has issued a report concluding state officials privatized the Medicaid program in 2016 “without establishing a reliable methodology for calculating cost savings.” And Mosiman’s updated calculation shaves about $14-point-six million off the savings estimate the Reynolds Administration released in May. On the heels of that report comes an announcement, by the Democrat who will replace Mosiman as state auditor in January, that he will do a more expansive evaluation of Iowa’s Medicaid program.
Rob Sand says Mosiman failed to evaluate the quality or timeliness of care provided to the 680-thousand Iowans who are Medicaid patients.
Senator Pam Jochum, a Democrat from Dubuque, is the legislator who asked for an audit to compare privatized Medicaid with the previous fee-for-service program that ended April 1st of 2016. Jochum says Mosiman released “a big pile of excuses” that didn’t include how much Iowa health care providers are owed for Medicaid patient care.
Governor Kim Reynolds says she has not read the auditor’s report.
The Reynolds Administration recently renegotiated contracts with the private companies managing care for poor, elderly and disabled Iowans who are covered by Medicaid. The state auditor says she released her review of the Medicaid program AFTER the election in order to get updated data on usage and costs.
