Letter to the Editor: Submitted by Dave Jacobson

To the Editor:

Senator Grassley’s recent editorial supports the Rural Health Transformation Plan (RHTP) and the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB). My five attempts to him questioning this have received “canned” responses failing to address the concerns Iowans face with their health care.

Multiple letters sent to Iowa’s other five congressional office holders in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have been totally ignored. “Please explain why you support the RHTP that will provide Iowa with $209 million over the next five years but voted for the OBBB that cuts $2.7 billion from Iowa’s rural health care needs over the next decade?”

FACTS: Organizations against this include the American Hospital Association, the Iowa Hospital Association and the National Rural Health Association. Outspoken critics include Iowa hospital CEO’s Kevin Kincaid of Knoxville and Brett Altman of Atlantic.  Partial and complete closures of hospitals and clinics have taken place at MercyOne Ottumwa Family & Internal Medicine Clinic, two South Des Moines clinics, Traer Family Medicine Clinic, Pella Regional Medical Clinic, Fort Madison SE Iowa Regional Medical Center, Jennie Edmundson Memorial Council Bluffs, MercyOne Oelwein and MercyOne Clinton.

The Kaiser Family Foundation says Iowa will see a $3.84 billion decrease in rural health care spending over the next decade. Critics say the RHTP is a Band-Aid on a bullet hole, it forces limitations to the direct health care Iowans need and it will necessitate service cuts.

Iowa’s congressional delegation tells you what the RHTP will do for you but they won’t hold themselves accountable for what their votes did to us in the OBBB for Iowa’s rural health care. Iowans must hold them accountable for this.

Dave Jacobson
Lansing