Sixty days – Iowa’s Medicaid Modernization roll out has been delayed until March 1st. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, called for the delay. Washington County Public Health administrator Danielle Pettit-Majewski said it was a huge relief to hear of the delay, as many clients still hadn’t received the information needed from the providers to make their decision as to who they want for services.

In a letter issued to Mikki Stier, Medicaid director for the state of Iowa, CMS sites 16 items that need to be addressed from ensuring long-term services and supports case managers are available to developing more “robust and comprehensive” communication plans to get information to beneficiaries and providers.

In August, Governor Terry Branstad announced the four companies who would be providing services, which moves toward a risk-based manage care approach for Iowa’s Medicaid program with an original implementation date of January 1st.