Six Democrats in the
running to be Iowa's next governor made it seem as though nearly all the
state's problems could be solved by reversing Medicaid privatization during
a recent forum hosted at Simpson College.
Candidates were asked
questions ranging from how they'd help veterans to how they'd save rural Iowa,
and their answers kept circling back to Medicaid.
How do you attract
young people to Iowa?
Andrea McGuire said
it's by saving rural hospitals. Medicaid privatization could cause 30 rural
Iowa hospitals to shut their doors, she said.
"You talk about
people leaving, no one will be left if we close their hospitals," McGuire
said.
When the candidates
were later asked how they would help support the country's veterans, Ross
Wilburn said his number one goal is to reverse Medicaid privatization so
everyone has equal access to healthcare.
Answering the same
question, Nate Boulton took a shot at Republican Governor Kim Reynolds, who was
the only gubernatorial candidate who failed to attend a mental health forum
hosted by the Des Moines Register earlier this year.
Audience members
particularly liked a statement Cathy Glasson made while answering a general
question about the state of healthcare in Iowa.
"It's time to
make sure every Iowan is covered with universal healthcare," Glasson said
to a loud round of applause.
Meanwhile, John Norris
suggested Iowa start an opt-in program for Medicaid for those who can't get
insurance from the marketplace.
McGuire later claimed
she was the best candidate to win the general election because her
experience as a doctor gave her the ability to "fix Medicaid on day
one."
While Medicaid was a
popular subject at the forum, the candidates offered several ideas they'd
bring to the table if elected.
McGuire proposed to
forgive student loan debt for young adults who live in rural Iowa for at least
five years after graduation.
Boulton said he'd
cut back on unnecessary corporate giveaways.
"While
Governor Reynolds was out giving $20 million in corporate giveaways to
Apple...that same level of commitment could have helped 260 Iowa communities
with Main Street Iowa grants," Boulton said.
Fred Hubbell said he'd
rebuild focus on issues that matter instead of divisive and distracting
issues such as the Sanctuary Cities Bill, which cuts funding to cities that
don't follow federal immigration laws.
"We need to be a
welcoming and inclusive state and encourage more people to move here, raise
their families here and work here," Hubbell said.
Wilburn promised he'd
bring back transparency in government and called out Republicans who are
currently serving in the Iowa legislature for hosting closed-door meetings to
attack the state's retirement program, IPERS.
IPERS is part of the
deal for people in government jobs because most of them could be making
more money in the private sector, he said.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/indianola/2018/04/11/iowa-democratic-gubernatorial-candidates-ready-reverse-medicaid-privatization/509583002/
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