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Allowing several delays, Iowa's $4.2 billion Medicaid program will switch to private management on Friday. Some health advocacy groups have criticized the transition, originally slated to go into effect on Jan. 1 but delayed by federal officials amid concern about readiness. Democrats continue to argue the system isn't ready, and lawmakers in the split Legislature are still debating what state oversight should be in place under the new system. State officials have said lingering issues over communication and expected services are being addressed. (Rodriguez, 3/31)

After lawsuits, protests and two delays, Gov. Terry Branstad's plan to shift management of Iowa's Medicaid program to private, out-of-state, for-profit health care companies goes into effect Friday, three months later than it was supposed to. ... The Branstad administration projects that moving Iowa's 560,000 Medicaid beneficiaries to its new managed care program, IA Health Link, will save the state $47 million in the first six months, down about $4 million from original estimates. (Butz, 4/1)

With the privatization of Iowa’s health care program for the poor and disabled set to go into effect tomorrow, state lawmakers Wednesday grilled company representatives and Medicaid managers about the change. There was emotional debate in the House about a young cancer patient’s treatment being delayed. Representative Patti Ruff (D-McGregor) said one of her constituents, a nine-year-old boy, was scheduled to undergo chemotherapy at Mayo Clinic this week. But the boy’s mother says the therapy did not get underway because of issues with the family’s new for-profit provider. (Russell, 3/31)

Mayo Clinic now says it is advocating for Shaun Mohs to continue receiving cancer care at Mayo but is waiting for a decision under Iowa's privatized Medicaid system. Mayo Clinic Spokesperson Ginger Plumbo received permission to discuss 9 year-old Shaun Mohs case Thursday, a day after KCRG-TV9 reported the McGregor boy was forced to delay treatment for an aggressive brain tumor because of the Medicaid switch. Plumbo says Mayo plans to request an exception for Iowa Medicaid to cover Shaun Mohs cancer treatments at Mayo. However, it can't file that request until the three private companies take over Iowa's Medicaid system on Friday. (Wiedemann, 3/31)