Healthcare should make people feel safe — not scared. But right now, too many everyday working Iowans are one premium increase, one diagnosis, or one missed paycheck away from losing access to the care they need. Families in District 71 deserve better than a system where costs rise, coverage shrinks, and the people doing everything right still get left behind. Access to care should spark stability, trust, and dignity — not uncertainty.

When ACA tax credits are threatened, premiums can skyrocket. Without these credits, health insurance in Iowa could become 75–150% more expensive, adding hundreds of dollars a month to budgets already stretched thin. When premiums rise, people skip doctor’s visits, delay prescriptions, or turn to the ER as a last resort. And in a state where chronic illness is widespread, every skipped appointment carries a cost — sometimes a tragic one.

Spark the Truth: What the Numbers Show

The truth is heartbreaking: Iowa’s health outcomes are among the worst in the nation.

Iowa now ranks No. 2 nationally for new cancer cases, with 21,200 expected diagnoses in 2025 and more than 171,535 Iowans currently living with cancer (Kaplan, 2025). Doctors point to two major statewide risks: Iowa has the highest share of homes above the EPA’s radon action level, and ag chemical runoff affects water sources across 30 million acres of farmland (Kaplan, 2025).

But cancer isn’t the only crisis — Iowa is also failing mothers.

A 2025 Iowa Public Radio report determined that the majority of maternal deaths in Iowa were preventable, meaning they didn’t have to happen (Krebs, 2025). Many deaths were linked to inadequate prenatal care, lack of postpartum support, and delayed access to emergency treatment. Black mothers, rural mothers, and low-income mothers remain at highest risk. When cost or distance keeps someone from a checkup, the results can be fatal.

And the safety net that keeps many families afloat is now under attack.

Crescent Community Health Center — District 71’s largest community clinic — treats 11,000 patients a year, 50% of whom rely on Medicaid for medical care and 65% for dental care (Wolbers, 2025). Congressional Medicaid cuts would devastate clinics like Crescent, forcing reductions in services, staffing, and programs. That means fewer appointments, longer waits, and more patients turning to emergency rooms. As Wolbers (2025) warns, cuts “would harm our patients, our community health center, and our local hospital’s financial stability.”

When healthcare access erodes, families don’t just lose medical care — they lose housing stability, job opportunities, and the ability to provide for their children. Healthcare is the thread that holds everything else together.

Spark Our Future: What This Means for District 71

Many families across District 71 rely on clinics like Crescent, the VNA, and other practices that accept insurance, whether someone uses Medicaid, a private plan, or employer coverage. When these clinics face staffing shortages, rising costs, or cuts in reimbursement, people across every income level feel it. Even families with “good” insurance are experiencing high deductibles, long waits, and fewer available appointments. When prenatal or specialty care becomes too expensive or too far away, mothers and families skip visits, which is dangerous in a state where maternal deaths continue to rise.

Iowa’s Expanded Medicaid has been a lifeline for many of my clients at the VNA who live with HIV. It allows them to access antiretrovirals like Biktarvy, Dovato, and Cabenuva, which can cost over $40,000 per year at list price. Without that coverage, most people could not afford the medications that keep them healthy, undetectable, and able to work and care for their families. This same reality exists for more common medications too. The average adult in the United States spends about $200 to $900 per year out of pocket for everyday prescriptions, and those living with chronic conditions often spend $2,000 to $5,000 per year. When clinics reduce services or close, these costs grow as untreated conditions turn into emergencies.

When Medicaid reimbursement is cut or private insurance reduces payments, clinics like Crescent, the VNA, and other neighborhood practices lose the ability to remain fully staffed and open. And when that happens, the entire district feels the consequences. Lower-income families lose a lifeline, middle-income families lose consistent preventive care, and higher-income families lose the stability that keeps small health concerns from becoming major crises. Healthcare access in District 71 determines whether people can maintain their health, enabling them to work, raise their children, care for aging parents, stay housed, and remain rooted in the community.

Ignite the Path Forward

Families in District 71 should not have to fight this hard to stay healthy. We see clinics like Crescent, the VNA, and other practices stretched thin. We see families skipping care because appointments are too far, too expensive, or too delayed. We see how cuts to Medicaid and private insurance reimbursement weaken the very clinics people rely on. We see how medication costs keep rising, from antiretrovirals that can cost more than $40,000 each year to everyday prescriptions that cost adults between $200 and $900 each year, and even $2,000 to $5,000 for those managing chronic conditions. These pressures determine whether parents can work, whether mothers can safely carry a pregnancy, whether older adults can stay in their homes, and whether our district remains strong and rooted.

When I am elected to the Iowa House, I will fight for a system that finally puts people before politics. I will fight to protect ACA tax credits so families can keep their coverage. I will fight to defend and strengthen Medicaid because it keeps clinics open and care within reach. I will fight for more support for community clinics so every patient receives care with dignity, regardless of income or insurance. I will fight for stronger maternal health access, for earlier detection services, for expanded radon mitigation in older neighborhoods, and for lower prescription costs for families managing chronic conditions. My commitment is clear. I will fight for a healthcare system that sparks stability and healing, and possibility. District 71 deserves care that protects our health, honors our families, and allows every one of us the chance to thrive.

References

Kaplan, B. (2025, February 26). State of Cancer: Iowa is No. 2 in new cancer cases. Lawmakers, doctors, cancer survivors seek answers. KCCI. https://www.kcci.com/article/state-of-cancer-iowa-is-no-2-in-new-cancer-cases-lawmakers-doctors-cancer-survivors-seek-answers/63925107

Krebs, N. (2025, April 11). State report finds majority of maternal deaths were preventable. Iowa Public Radio. https://www.iowapublicradio.org/health/2025-04-11/state-report-finds-majority-maternal-pregnancy-deaths-preventable

Wolbers, C. (2025, May 11). Cuts to Medicaid would hurt community health centers and patients. Telegraph Herald. https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/opinion/article_1fb5da15-ef8b-4d81-9458-a95b0a780c8f.html