On Wednesday, Republican Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds thanked the Iowa House Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee for passing the state’s Medicaid Work Requirements legislation.
Iowa HHS reports that there are “over 100,000 able-bodied adult Medicaid recipients in Iowa [who] are not working.” Reynolds is advocating for a federal waiver that would require able-bodied adults on Medicaid to work in order to receive benefits, “with common sense exemptions.” (Medicaid covers health insurance for children, the disabled, the elderly, and low-income people.)
As shown below, Reynolds wrote to her constituents on X: “If you can work, you should. “It is time to refocus Iowa’s Medicaid program on its core population—the elderly, disabled, and children.” Reynolds omitted “low-income individuals” from the core population of Medicaid beneficiaries.
One able-bodied adult responded to Reynolds: “While I am physically able to work, I have paid into Social Security and Medicare for 45 years. If Elon eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse from the system, no Iowan should ever be forced to work in their golden years. Make government more efficient, please and thank you.
Others were less polite after learning that another bill introduced in the Statehouse this week would give Reynolds a $100,000 raise (a 77% increase) and raise the salaries of state legislators by $20,000 in 2027. According to the Des Moines Register, Reynolds’ current annual salary is $130,000.
One angry constituent responded, “Everyone in the Republican Party said no Medicaid cuts, and now look what they are doing! Hmmmmm! Farmers want to know about USDA cuts!! Kim is more interested in requesting a 77% pay increase, which equates to an extra $100,000 in her pocket!!!”
Note: If approved by the State Government Committee, Iowan lawmakers’ pay increases will not take effect until January 2027, following the 2026 election. When asked at a press conference in February if she was running for reelection, Reynolds said, “Stay tuned.” There might be some news coming, but not today.”
