Health care concerns highlighted at IHA Legislative Day

Kossuth Regional Health Center staff, volunteers, students and guests made a trip to Des Moines on February 25 for the annual Iowa Hospital Association Legislative Day.

The group of approximately 40 people began the day by visiting the Polk County Convention Complex, where they enjoyed a meal, entertainment and speakers on grassroots advocacy. 

The group proceeded to the capitol to meet with Representative Delores Mertz and Senator Jack Kibbie about health care issues such as increasing Medicaid payments for hospitals and physicians with funds in the stimulus package, making mental health services available to all Iowans and opposing legislation that would require hospitals to get state approval for modernization projects. The stimulus package was also a focus of discussion.

“The governor has met with President Obama and he has very specific ideas on where the money will go,” said Rep. Mertz.  “We need to take care of hospitals and human service areas.”

Senator Kibbie acknowledged that Medicaid funding is the “biggest hole in the budget,” a problem made more complicated by recent disasters in Iowa.

“With the disaster in Iowa we have 11,000 more people on Medicaid,” Kibbie said.  “Another big issue is the cost of mental health.  We haven’t kept our commitment to pay for mental health for the counties.  We’ve got veterans coming home, agriculture downturns…that puts stress on mental health.”

Both Rep. Mertz and Senator Kibbie encouraged those in attendance to communicate with them regularly.

“We need to call our people back home to see how things affect them, not just the whole state,” said Mertz.

“I’m no further than your phone or your email,” said Senator Kibbie.

March 2, 2009