State legislature Democrats still unhappy with Governor's Medicare expansion proposal

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad now has released a bill with the details of his alternative plan to expand affordable health care in Iowa.  The Governor's plan would provide health care to about 89,000 Iowans and would cost $163 million a year.

Democrats in the state legislature have attacked the plan as costing more and covering fewer Iowans than would happen under Medicaid expansion, which would cover about 150,000 Iowans.   State Senator Mary Jo Wilhelm of Cresco says "I will continue to work with the House and the Governor to improve the health care legislation that we have already passed in the Senate. The Iowa Catholic Conference, AARP, the Iowa Hospital Association and at least 75 other Iowa organizations are in favor of the Senate bill because it would move Iowa in the direction of becoming the healthiest state in the nation."

Legislative Democrats have scheduled a public hearing on the Senate's affordable health care bill for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Iowa House of Representatives.