Kaiser Health News
Iowa’s Governor Opposes Abortion — And Has Final Say on Whether Medicaid Pays for It
Tony Leys
Tue, 07 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0000
DES MOINES, Iowa — Any Iowa hospital or clinic seeking Medicaid payment for providing an abortion would need approval from the state’s most prominent abortion opponent: Gov. Kim Reynolds.
No one bothers to try.
Iowa’s Medicaid regulations include an unusual policy requiring signoff from the governor’s office before the public health insurance program could pay for any abortion services, even if they meet the state’s strict criteria.
Reynolds is a Republican and a vehement foe of abortion. In more than six years as governor, she has never been asked to approve a Medicaid payment for an abortion, said her spokesperson, Kollin Crompton.
The novel policy, instituted a decade ago by legislators, leaves providers who perform abortions with a choice: Swallow the procedure’s costs, or risk a showdown with the governor.
The state’s Medicaid program spends roughly $8 billion a year to cover about 800,000 Iowans with low incomes or disabilities. It allows payment for abortions if a pregnancy endangers a woman’s life, is the result of rape or incest, or involves a fetal deformity. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services posts a form for abortion providers to fill out for Medicaid compensation, but the program hasn’t paid for any abortions in several years, spokesperson Alex Carfrae said.
The federal government, which finances more than half of Medicaid costs, helps pay for abortions only in cases of rape or incest or when a pregnancy endangers a woman’s life. But it requires state Medicaid programs to cover such cases.
Most state Medicaid programs pay for at least a few abortions, according to a 2019 report from the federal Government Accountability Office. The report found that in fiscal years 2013 through 2017, only Iowa, South Dakota, and Wyoming reported covering no abortions meeting the federal criteria.
Abortion remains legal during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy in Iowa, where 4,062 abortions were reported in 2022. Reynolds signed a bill in July that would ban most abortions after six weeks, and she is fighting in court to implement the law. However, the abortion ban would allow exceptions for cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal abnormalities, and medical emergencies.
Iowa’s Medicaid program paid for 22 abortions in the fiscal year before legislators passed the governor-oversight rule in 2013. Most were performed at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, a state-owned facility that handles many of Iowa’s most complicated pregnancies. After the rule went into effect, hospital leaders decided to pay for such abortions out of the facility’s revenues instead of trying to bill Medicaid.
Jean Robillard, then a University of Iowa Hospitals vice president, declined at the time to explain how the state rule affected the decision to stop billing Medicaid for abortions. “I don’t want to get involved in the politics of this,” he told the Des Moines Register.
University of Iowa Hospitals spokesperson Laura Shoemaker said this fall that the hospital has not billed Medicaid for abortions in recent years. She declined further comment.
UnityPoint Health, a large nonprofit hospital system based in West Des Moines, also occasionally billed Iowa Medicaid for qualifying abortions before the governor-approval rule went into effect. UnityPoint declined comment on its current practice.
When the rule was implemented, it was called unique by the Guttmacher Institute, a national nonprofit that supports abortion rights. The group still lists Iowa as the only state requiring the governor’s permission for Medicaid payments for abortion. But a spokesperson said the institute cannot say for certain that no other state has implemented such a rule.
The policy took effect while Reynolds’ predecessor, Republican Terry Branstad, was in office. Branstad also opposed abortion but suggested the rule be rescinded. Reynolds’ spokesperson declined to say whether the current governor approves of the rule.
Maggie DeWitte, executive director of Pulse Life Advocates, an Iowa group opposing abortion, said she favors the policy as a way to limit use of taxpayer dollars for the procedure.
“I don’t think it’s anything the government should be paying for. It’s the taking of an innocent life,” she said. “We should have as many stops along the way as possible.”
Sally Frank, a law professor at Drake University in Des Moines who studies women’s rights issues, said the rule appears intended to prevent requests for Medicaid payment. “It’s kind of set up to fail,” she said.
Frank, who supports abortion rights, said a hospital or clinic would have strong legal grounds to challenge any denial by the governor of Medicaid payment for an abortion that met Iowa’s criteria. She noted that states are required to cover Medicaid services spelled out under federal law. She added that if the governor blocked payment without citing a valid reason, the provider could argue in court that they were denied due process. “It should not be up to the governor’s discretion.”
But she wasn’t surprised to hear no hospitals or clinics have challenged the policy, given the state’s increasingly conservative politics.
——————————
By: Tony Leys
Title: Iowa’s Governor Opposes Abortion — And Has Final Say on Whether Medicaid Pays for It
Sourced From: kffhealthnews.org/news/article/iowa-governor-medicaid-abortion-approval-policy/
Published Date: Tue, 07 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0000
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.biloxinewsevents.com/new-california-law-offers-fresh-protection-from-steep-ambulance-bills/
Kaiser Health News
LGBTQ+ People Relive Old Traumas as They Age on Their Own
SUMMARY: Bill Hall, a 71-year-old HIV survivor, has endured numerous health challenges, including depression, heart disease, and cancer since contracting the virus in 1986. His struggles are compounded by trauma from childhood, where he faced bullying and abuse in a government boarding school. LGBTQ+ seniors like Hall often face isolation, with many living alone and lacking social support. By 2030, the number of LGBTQ+ seniors is projected to double, increasing their vulnerability to health issues and mental struggles. Many have experienced profound loss from the AIDS crisis, leading to ongoing emotional challenges. Support services remain critical for this aging population.
The post LGBTQ+ People Relive Old Traumas as They Age on Their Own appeared first on kffhealthnews.org
Kaiser Health News
Caseworkers Coax Homeless People out of Las Vegas’ Tunnels for Treatment
SUMMARY: In Las Vegas, case manager Bryon Johnson searches the underground tunnels for homeless individuals like Jay Flanders, who suffers from health issues and substance abuse. Escaping rising housing costs and law enforcement, around 1,200 to 1,500 people live in these tunnels, which provide shelter from extreme weather but pose significant health risks, especially during monsoon season. Outreach workers emphasize the dangers of drug addiction and untreated health conditions, urging residents to seek medical care above ground. As housing costs soar, many homeless individuals, including tourists, end up in these perilous conditions, seeking cover from societal judgment and harsh weather.
The post Caseworkers Coax Homeless People out of Las Vegas’ Tunnels for Treatment appeared first on kffhealthnews.org
Kaiser Health News
In Settling Fraud Case, New York Medicare Advantage Insurer, CEO Will Pay up to $100M
SUMMARY: Independent Health Association of Buffalo and Betsy Gaffney, CEO of medical analytics firm DxID, have agreed to a settlement of up to $100 million to resolve Justice Department allegations of fraudulent Medicare billing for exaggerated or non-existent health conditions. Independent Health will pay up to $98 million, while Gaffney will contribute $2 million. Neither party admitted wrongdoing. The case was triggered by whistleblower Teresa Ross, highlighting issues of “upcoding” in Medicare Advantage plans. Ross, having faced repercussions for her allegations, will receive at least $8.2 million from the settlement. This case underscores the challenges of regulating billing practices in the Medicare system.
The post In Settling Fraud Case, New York Medicare Advantage Insurer, CEO Will Pay up to $100M appeared first on kffhealthnews.org
-
Local News6 days ago
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi Honors Veterans with Wreath-Laying Ceremony and Holiday Giving Initiative
-
News from the South - North Carolina News Feed6 days ago
Social Security benefits boosted for millions in bill headed to Biden’s desk • NC Newsline
-
Local News6 days ago
MDOT suspends work, urges safe driving for holiday travel
-
Our Mississippi Home6 days ago
Green Christmas Gifts for Critters and Yourself
-
News from the South - Kentucky News Feed6 days ago
How Kentucky Children's Hospital keeps spirits bright during the holidays
-
News from the South - Missouri News Feed7 days ago
Could prime Albert Pujols fetch $1 billion in today's MLB free agency?
-
News from the South - Missouri News Feed5 days ago
Driver killed by police after driving truck through Texas mall, injuring 5
-
News from the South - Missouri News Feed6 days ago
Eric DeValkenaere’s sentence commuted in Cameron Lamb killing