Iowa Senate approves bill to expand health insurance to more children

The Iowa Senate on Thursday voted 30-18 to approve a bill (SF 389) that would extend health insurance to 30,000 children and set up a commission to help residents obtain affordable coverage, the Des Moines Register reports.

An estimated 40,000 children in the state are uninsured, and most of those children already qualify for Medicaid or the Hawk-I program, according to the Register.

The bill would increase efforts to identify those children. The bill also would increase the income eligibility limit to 300% of the federal poverty level. The bill calls for the commission to design ways to help low-income or middle-income residents obtain insurance, possibly through allowing small businesses and not-for-profit groups to buy into the state employees' insurance plan.

The commission will present its proposals for other options next year. State Sen. Jack Hatch (D), who is the main sponsor of the bill, said it would cost about $8 million annually with federal funding (Leys, Des Moines Register, 3/20).