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Deciding Iowa
Deciding Iowa is a podcast tackling the tough political and people-focused issues shaping our state. Through honest conversations and deep dives into policy, Shawn Ellerbroek and Emily Boevers break down complex topics with expert voices and clear insights. Each episode explores what’s at stake and where Iowa goes from here.
Deciding Iowa
Season 2 - Episode 18 - Make Iowa Healthy Again
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🎥 New Episode: Make Iowa Healthy Again
What’s happening with Iowa’s health policy right now?
In this episode of Deciding Iowa we talk about:
• A pesticide linked to Parkinson’s disease
• A bill that tried to address it but never moved forward
• Iowa’s ongoing Medicaid funding challenges
The big question: Are we doing enough to keep Iowans healthy?
Watch the latest episode and decide for yourself.
#DecidingIowa #IowaPolitics #PublicHealth
Hello, Bramer County and all of Iowa. I'm Dr. Sean Ellerbrook, and I'm a cancer scientist, biochem prof, and house district 57 candidate.
SPEAKER_01And I'm Dr. Emily Babers. I'm a physician, mom of three, and a health advocate. So, from that health perspective, Sean, I'm deeply concerned about Iowans. Between exposures to chemicals and decreasing access to care, I really believe we're in trouble. What's the legislature doing about it right now?
SPEAKER_00Well, Emily, Iowa is among the leaders of the use of paraquat, an agricultural weed killer. The herbicide is strongly linked with human disease, including Parkinson's. Singentas said earlier this week that it would stop making paraquat, citing that it can't compete with generic product producers of the chemical that are that are in the industry.
SPEAKER_01Well, they explicitly failed to mention that they have several thousand lawsuits filed against them regarding the chemical causing Parkinson's.
SPEAKER_00You know, earlier this year, Senate file 2316 was introduced by an Iowa senator who unfortunately has Parkinson's. It would have prohibited the use of pesticides containing paracat. The bill was never scheduled for a subcommittee meeting, so it did not survive the first funnel. That's unfortunate.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Well, in other news, Senate file 2464 would increase the state tax on health insurance companies in order to boost state revenues by approximately$120 million. The income would be used to specifically address our current$120 million shortfall for the state's Medicaid program.
SPEAKER_00Ten years ago, Iowa moved to a privatized Medicaid system that has failed to offer Iowans the health care they deserve and created budget inefficiencies for everyone involved. If this bill goes through, the state might address its immediate Medicaid budget shortfall, but it really offers uh little in the way of long-term solution to the ongoing privatized Medicaid problems that we have.
SPEAKER_01You know, lobbyists from the state health insurance industry say that this additional state tax will eventually be passed on to customers like us, increasing the insurance cost for you and for me.
SPEAKER_00We need better and healthier solutions. Be well, Iowa.