The Iowa Department of Human Services announced that it will pay the insurance providers for the states Medicaid program for low-income and disabled residents an additional 386 million dollars in state and federal money. Governor Kim Reynolds the state is still saving money despite the increase in dollars.

Democrat legislators have been critical of the privatizations of the program and the Iowa Democratic party chair issued a statement today that says: “Apparently Governor Reynolds is more concerned about her reputation than she is about the health of our state or responsible taxpayer spending. Instead of putting resources towards fixing the broken system, Reynolds is doubling-down, handing out bigger raises to M-C-Os with no accountability for service. Hundreds of thousands of Iowans rely on Medicaid to go to the doctor or afford prescriptions, and our tax dollars should be spent making sure these services work effectively for the people who need them most, not insurance executives.”