WATCH: Zach Lahn Says 110,000 Iowans Losing Their Health Care is a “Partisan Talking Point”
DES MOINES – In a new interview with KGAN, career political operative and Kansas carpetbagger Zach Lahn said Iowans losing their health care and rural health care closures due to Washington’s cuts to Medicaid are “partisan talking points.”
This comes as 110,000 Iowans are losing their health care and 117,890 Iowans are seeing their premiums skyrocket as a result of the federal budget law. Clinics in Ottumwa, Traer, Centerville, Anthon, Moville, and Iowa City have already closed their doors, and clinics across Iowa have laid off staff, citing the largest cuts to Medicaid in history.
KGAN: “And when they bring up the issue [of rural health care closures], they’ll cite the Big Beautiful Bill and the privatization of Medicaid playing a role into that. They even throw the figure that 110,000 Iowans will lose health care. Any response to that part of it?”
Lahn: “Yeah, I think those are partisan talking points really. I think if you dig into that, you’ll see that they are.”
KGAN: “Do you think the Big Beautiful Bill played any role in … 110,000 Iowans possibly losing health care?”
Lahn: “You know, just to be clear on the federal legislation, I haven’t dug into all that.”
REMINDER: Lahn has spent his career trying to block people from getting health insurance and spearheaded a campaign to block Medicaid expansion in Montana, which would have kicked tens of thousands of people off their insurance. Lahn said he would continue Kim Reynolds’ privatized Medicaid disaster as governor, which has resulted in higher costs, thousands of Iowans being denied health care, including those with disabilities, and closed rural hospitals.
From Iowa Democratic Party spokesperson Terra Hernandez:
“It’s no surprise that Zach Lahn, an out-of-touch political operative who spent his career attacking Medicaid, would dismiss Iowans being kicked off their health care and watching their local clinic close. Iowa families who are losing their health care and seeing their premiums skyrocket know they can’t trust Lahn to stand up to these devastating cuts. Zach Lahn would be more of the same failed status quo that has left Iowa families with higher costs and less options.”
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