A bill outlining a new wellness program for low-income residents has been signed into law.
On Thursday, June 20, 2013 at the Mason City health care clinic, Governor Terry Branstad signed the “Iowa Health and Wellness Program” into law.
This bill was crafted after Branstad developed the Healthy Iowa Plan in response federal money being promised to uninsured people under ObamaCare. Several groups of Iowans had urged Branstad to accept Medicaid Expansion rather than going with his own plan.
According to the Iowa Department of Human Services, the bill signed into law is a compromise between the Governor’s Healthy Iowa Plan and Medicaid Expansion. Under this law, Iowans ages 19- 64 with incomes that are under roughly 100-percent of the Federal Poverty Level will be covered. They will receive a benefit package and provider network.
The law becomes active on January 1, 2014.