Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today highlighted support for Medicaid Modernization from Democratic Governors around the country. Governors have the responsibility to modernize health care for their citizens to improve health outcomes and ensure the sustainability of the Medicaid program.
Below, you will find demonstration of Medicaid Modernization support from six different Democratic Governors from Kentucky, Missouri, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Illinois and New York.
Former Democratic Governor Steve Beshear (Kentucky)
"About three years ago we took almost our entire Medicaid program to the managed-care model because I felt very strongly that it was time to pay for results and not just for the number of procedures performed."
Source: Modern Healthcare (October 2014)
Democratic Governor Jay Nixon (Missouri)
"Governor announces that state will be moving forward to expand Medicaid managed care in a way that will protect vulnerable Missourians."
Source: Office of Missouri Governor Jay Nixon (May 2015)
Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards (Louisiana)
"In Louisiana on January 12 of this year we expanded the Medicaid program, and we used the existing framework to expand the program where we have managed care organizations that we're administering. We don't do a traditional fee for service. We transferred the risk of loss associated with fraud, waste and abuse away from the state and to the managed care organization who is are in that business. And so we have that per member per month that we're paying per covered life and we transferred that risk to a very large degree and I believe it's working in Louisiana. It's one of the ways that we were able to gain so much support in the legislature and in the state as a whole to demonstrate we're not doing that traditional fee for service and the fraud, waste and abuse is not only being minimized but where it exists is not coming at the taxpayers' expense. Demonstrate we're not doing that traditional fee for service and the fraud, waste and abuse is not only being minimized but where it exists is not coming at the taxpayers' expense."
Source: National Governor's Association Meeting (July 2016)
Democratic Governor Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire)
"The implementation of New Hampshire's Medicaid managed care program is critical to strengthening our health care system and to maximizing our health care dollar."
Source: Office of New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan (June 2016)
Former Democratic Governor Pat Quinn (Illinois)
"Illinois has made tremendous progress in recent years reforming and improving our healthcare system to control costs and deliver better quality care. This plan [Medicaid managed care] will help take our healthcare system to the next level--improving the health of people and communities across Illinois while significantly lowering our long-term costs."
Source: Modern Healthcare (February 2014)
Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo (New York)
HEADLINE: Cuomo's quiet Medicaid miracle: He is succeeding where countless predecessors failed
"The chief strategy has been to move as much of Medicaid as possible into managed care - including formerly exempt groups, such as nursing home patients and the mentally ill, and benefits that were formerly carved out, such as prescription drugs and home health aides."