If the budget reconciliation package before the U.S. Senate becomes law in the coming weeks, reproductive health advocates say the provision that would cut federal funding to Planned Parenthood clinics could serve as a backdoor nationwide abortion ban, eliminating access to one in four abortion providers. The Republican-led bill, which already passed the House by […]
healthcare
Posted inCommunity/News
Sen. Ernst mocks critics of her ‘Well, we all are going to die’ remark, suggests they seek Jesus
After capturing national headlines on Friday for her response of, “Well, we all are going to die,” to an Iowan worried cuts to Medicaid in the Republican budget bill will cause untimely death, Sen. Joni Ernst decided to respond to critics of her dismissive response by mocking them in a passive-aggressive video posted as two […]
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Iowa Republicans advance bill with a ban on Medicaid funding for all forms of gender-affirming care
On Wednesday, Iowa Senate Republicans advanced a bill with a provision that would cut off funding for medical treatments for people with gender dysphoria, despite testimony pointing to a medical consensus that stopping access to such treatments can increase the risk of suicide among transgender people. This is the first piece of anti-trans legislation Iowa […]
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Iowa, 19 other states sue feds to block staffing mandates for nursing homes
The state of Iowa, where nursing homes have compiled one of the nation’s worst records for staffing-level violations, has joined 19 other states in suing the Biden administration to block the implementation of new staffing requirements. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, seeks to overturn the nursing home […]
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Unable to find a qualified contractor to run its anti-abortion ‘pregnancy resource centers’ fund, the state administers funds anyway; Republicans pass bill to make it legal retroactively
Starting in 2022, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) began looking for a qualified independent third-party to administer a program that will use millions in tax dollars to fund privately run anti-abortion centers — which call themselves “pregnancy resource centers” — in the state. The More Options for Maternal Support (MOMS) program […]
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Complaints pile up as Iowa ranks 49th among states in nursing home inspectors
A federal report suggests Iowa has one of the nation’s worst ratios of nursing home inspectors to care facilities, and that the state’s use of private contractors to inspect homes is extraordinarily costly to taxpayers. The report, published earlier this year by the majority staff of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, highlights some […]
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Mercy Iowa City bought in bankruptcy auction by Texas-based finance company
Preston Hollow Community Capital, the Texas-based specialty finance company that is Mercy Iowa City’s largest creditor, was the winning bidder in the bankruptcy auction of Mercy’s assets, which include the 234-bed Iowa City hospital, as well as the Mercy Family Medical Centers in Kalona, Tipton, West Liberty and Williamsburg. Mercy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy […]
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University of Iowa’s plan to purchase Mercy Iowa City gets stamp of approval from the Board of Regents
During its meeting on Tuesday, the Iowa Board of Regents approved the University of Iowa’s plan to purchase Mercy Hospital of Iowa City. The plan calls for UI to pay $20 million for “substantially all” of Mercy’s assets, including the 234-bed Iowa City hospital, as well as the Mercy Family Medical Centers in Kalona, Tipton, […]
Posted inStatewide
The state can’t find a contractor to get Reynolds’ ‘pregnancy resource centers’ funding program off the ground
The new draconian ban on abortions that Gov. Reynolds signed into law on July 14, and which was stopped by a temporary injunction issued by a state court judge three days later, isn’t the only part of the governor’s anti-abortion agenda that’s currently on hold. The Des Moines Register reported on Thursday that more than […]
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Cedar Rapids unveils mural featuring local healthcare workers
A new two-story mural appeared almost overnight in Cedar Rapids to recognize the courage and sacrifice of healthcare workers. “This project is meant to be a tribute. A tribute to our local healthcare workforce,” said Jesse Thoeming, executive director of the Downtown District, which is part of the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance. “For these […]
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Democracy in Crisis Podcast: Imara Jones on healthcare and the Russia investigations
In this week’s episode, hosts Baynard Woods and Marc Steiner talk with writer and analyst Imara Jones about what’s next for healthcare and investigations into Russian involvement in the presidential election. Imara Jones holds a degree from the London School of Economics and is currently developing a television news program aimed at progressive millennials of […]
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Questions mount ahead of imminent Medicaid changes
This is the second in a two-part series on the privatization of Medicaid in Iowa, which is set to begin this week. The first part can be found here. Fear of the unknown This coming Friday, Iowa will be privatizing its Medicaid healthcare system. To one side, it’s seen as an inevitable fix for the […]
