Iowa Gov. Culver Signs $25M Bill To Increase Coverage For Children

Main Category: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 16 May 2008 - 5:00 PST

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Iowa Gov. Chet Culver (D) on Tuesday signed into law a bill (HF 2539) that provides an additional $25 million over the next three years to extend coverage to more than 50,000 uninsured Iowa children, the AP/Chicago Tribune reports. The law also sets the goal of establishing universal health coverage for all state residents within five years. In addition, the law:

• Allows children to stay on their parents' health plans until age 25;
  
  
• Establishes a medical records task force to study expanded use of electronic health records; and
  
  
• Establishes standards to reduce the rate of childhood obesity in the state (Glover, AP/Chicago Tribune, 5/14).
  

The provisions included in the bill were based on recommendations by a bipartisan commission that was appointed by Culver to study improving health insurance access (Beaumont, Des Moines Register, 5/14).

In related news, Culver on Tuesday signed into law a $1.2 billion health and human services budget (SF 2425) that includes a 1% increase in Medicaid provider payments. According to the AP/Tribune, the increase will generate $5.1 million to fund an increase in nurses' salaries (Glover, AP/Chicago Tribune, 5/14). The bill also provides $5.5 million for hospitals to offset their Medicaid costs, according to Culver (Des Moines Register, 5/14).

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