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Iowa union official: Payment issues under Medicaid program

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July 8th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The president of Iowa’s largest state employees’ union says some health providers are not being properly paid under Iowa’s privately managed Medicaid program, and state officials say they’re unable to provide data on any reported issues.

Danny Homan, president of AFSCME Iowa Council 61, told reporters Friday his office has received multiple phone calls over several weeks from health providers who help Medicaid patients with services in their homes. He says providers claim they have not been paid or payments are delayed, though he was unable to estimate the scope of the problem.

Iowa’s Department of Human Services switched its Medicaid program to three private companies in April. Spokeswoman Amy Lorentzen McCoy says she’s received anecdotal information from the companies about payment issues, but more specific data is not collected.