Iowa insurance plans met with skepticism

Child-welfare advocates have expressed disappointment over a legislative effort to provide health insurance to all Iowa children, saying a recent bill was watered down nearly to the point of ineffectiveness. During a meeting with Des Moines Register editors and reporters, the advocates said the bill has few specifics about how the state would get all children covered. In addition, while the bill says the Legislature wants all Iowa children covered by 2011, it adds that government coverage would be expanded only "if sufficient funding is available," said Charles Bruner, executive director of the Child and Family Policy Center.