(Radio Iowa) — State Auditor Mary Mosiman says she cannot say when a review of the state’s Medicaid program will be released to the public. In June, Mosiman announced her office would examine the data to determine if Medicaid costs have been reduced since private companies assumed management of patient care. The move to privatize the system has become a political issue in the governor’s race. Mosiman, a Republican who is also seeking re-election, says she cannot answer specifics about a work in progress, but Mosiman says the final report from her office will provide “financial clarity” about Medicaid costs. “It will be issued. I just can’t give you an actual date or I would also be behaving politically,” Mosiman says. “…Everything we do in the office is important.”
Rob Sand, the Democrat challenging Mosiman, says he agrees the examination shouldn’t be political, but Sand says the auditor’s office needs to equip voters with the facts about what’s happened since Medicaid was privatized in 2016. “This is the office that’s supposed to be a watchdog for Iowa taxpayers and I think one thing that a watchdog should be doing is as soon as there’s a major change, you ought to be sniffing around,” Sand says. “We are in a state of upheaval with this issue.”
Sand and Mosiman made their comments this weekend during an appearance on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program. About 680-thousand low income, disabled and elderly Iowans are enrolled in Medicaid. Former Governor Terry Branstad predicted taxpayers would have saved more than 200-million dollars by now due to switching the system to private management. However, a recent report showed per patient costs increased six-and-a-half percent this past year and are projected to jump another 11 percent this year.
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