Federal Officials ‘Concerned’ About State Medicaid Transition Timeline

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Federal officials reviewing Iowa’s plans to switch its Medicaid services to private care say they have concerns about the state’s timetable for implementing the changes.

Timothy Hill, deputy director of the Center for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program Services, says in a letter dated Friday that officials for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have concerns that the transition could risk the quality of Medicaid access.

The letter is addressed to Mikki Stier, who oversees Medicaid services for the Iowa Department of Human Services.

DHS spokeswoman Amy Lorentzen McCoy says the department is working closely with federal officials to demonstrate the state is ready for the changes.

Iowa’s $4.2 billion Medicaid program provides care to poor children, families and disabled people, as well as some low-income adults.