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The Iowa Senate voted closely along party lines Thursday to repeal Republican Gov. Terry Branstad's plan to have private companies manage Iowa's Medicaid program, which serves 560,000 low-income and disabled people at an annual cost of about $4.2 billion. Senate File 2125, known as the "Health Care Protection Act," was approved on a 29-19 vote. However, the Senate bill — which was proposed by majority Democrats — will be dead on arrival in the Iowa House, which is controlled by Republicans. (Petroski, 2/11)

Plans to switch Iowa's $4.2 billion Medicaid program into private management would be on indefinite hold under legislation passed Thursday in the Democratic-controlled Senate, but the bill is not expected to advance in the GOP-run House. The chamber voted 29-19 for the bill, which would terminate the state's contracts with three private companies hired to take over the program. The one-page bill would essentially direct the Iowa Department of Human Services to give 30 days' written notice to terminate the contracts and pursue "other initiatives to realign the health care delivery system." (Rodriguez, 2/11)