Sebelius Won't Approve Iowa's Medicaid Alternative, Senator Says

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told him that Gov. Terry Branstad's plan to expand Medicaid would not meet eligibility requirements for increased federal funding, according to a report by the Des Moines Register.

Gov. Branstad's alternative, which has not yet been formally submitted, would lengthen and grow the IowaCare program, which would otherwise expire at the end of this year, to an estimated additional 22,000 low-income adults, totaling 89,000 who fall at or below the federal poverty line.

Under an optional provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, states that expand Medicaid eligibility to residents under 138 percent of the poverty line are eligible for three years of full federal funding for the additional cost, and no less than 90 percent of the added cost after that.

More Articles on Medicaid Expansion:

Sharon Hospital Fights Connecticut Governor's Tax Plan
The Rigors of Today's Healthcare Finances: Q&A With Hendrick Health System CFO Stephen Kimmel
Despite Budget Language, Virginia Medicaid Won't Expand

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