DES MOINES, Iowa — While the Iowa House and Senate are working through the state budget for the next fiscal year; priorities from the majority party are getting passed in between.

In a vote down party lines, the Iowa Senate approved Senate File 615, which requires 80 hours of work per month for those able to work on state Medicaid expansion. The Senate Republican caucus agreed with an amendment from the Iowa House that strikes a disabled worker program study out of the bill. House Republicans estimate that there are around 100,000 Iowans on state health care that can work but don’t. Senate Democrats on Tuesday argued that this bill will end up costing the state millions.

“And in every state where this has been enacted, it has cost states tens of millions of dollars to implement for little to no savings. And the only benefit they get is more uninsured people who don’t have a way to get their care covered,” said State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott (D), District 14 from Waukee.

Senate Republicans pointed at other states when the bill first came through the chamber earlier in session, and one senator argued the opposite of Trone Garriott’s point.

“So, at the end of demonstration year five, we will see a savings in the state of Iowa as a result of this program of $50 million. $50 million in savings that we can really reallocate or reappropriate to other areas, perhaps work with our programs. We may be able to develop with further communication between ourselves in the House,” said State Senator Mike Klimesh (R), District 32 from Spillville.

Senator Klimesh said that the five-year demonstration of the bill was made available by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.

Just last month, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds requested a federal waiver to add 100 hours of work per month. Those who would be deemed as able to work would need to reach that threshold to receive benefits from the Iowa Health and Wellness plan, or state Medicaid expansion. Reynolds told WHO 13 News two weeks ago that that number will be decided once the waiver is approved, whether it is 80 or 100 hours.

The bill has been sent over to her desk and is eligible to be signed into law. There are exemptions for individuals in between the ages of 19 and 65 that will not have to work, that list can be found in the bill.

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