Director of Vocational Services at New Hope in Carroll, Jen Daniel, made a special visit to Iowa State Senator for the sixth District, Mark Segebart, over the past week. Segebart says their conversation on the disability services provided by New Hope was only one of many conversations he has had in the second week of the 2018 Legislative Session. He says one of the major discussions taking place on the floor last week was that of the switch from a fee-for-service based payment method to a Managed Care Organization (MCO) one for the state’s Medicaid program. This issue that has resulted in lower reimbursement rates for nearly every Medicaid-funded service in the state, has occupied a good deal of his time, but no easy answers have been forthcoming. The new director of the Department of Human Services (DHS), Jerry Foxhoven, spoke with a Senate committee last week, with discussion centered on his department’s work to renegotiate the MCO contracts. Segebart, along with House District 12 Republican Representative, Brian Best, will be available to discuss the current Medicaid reimbursement program and any other concerns with area residents at an upcoming Legislative Forum. The first Carroll Chamber of Commerce-sponsored forum will be held Saturday, Jan. 27 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the New Hope Activities Building.
