Public Assistance Reforms Proposed
The Iowa House and Senate have each proposed their own public assistance program reform bills in the wake of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The OBBBA allowed states to set new restrictions on various public assistance programs, weakening the Affordable Care Act provisions that helped provide health insurance to low income Americans in states that added coverage for an “expansion population.” Iowa is an expansion state – we created the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan (IHWP) for Iowans who otherwise do not qualify for regular Medicaid and earn no more than 133% of the federal poverty level. IHWP member get the same health insurance coverage as state employees.
Below you can review a crosswalk showing the Iowa House vs. Senate approach. The bill numbers will change as they move out committee and we know there are amendments being discussed, so I will update this as the bills change. Right now the House HHS Committee will vote on their bill (HSB 696) at their committee meeting Tuesday (2/17) at 2:30 pm. The subcommittee for the Senate bill (SSB 3140) meets on Tuesday (2/17) at Noon to hear comments and advance their bill. It will likely be on the full committee agenda on Thursday (2/19) at 11 am.