IOWA CITY, Iowa — An Iowa City man has been advocating for a bill introduced this legislative session aimed to provide disabled Iowans seeking employment with more Medicaid assistance.
Democratic Rep. Josh Turek, Iowa's first-ever physically disabled state representative introduced the "Work Without Worry" bill, which encourages people with disabilities to work while allowing them to keep their much-needed Medicaid benefits.
It's a proposed piece of legislation which would provide disabled Iowans with Medicaid coverage based on net individual income of 450% of the federal poverty level, instead of the current requirement: a net family income of 250% of the federal poverty level. There would also no longer be a marriage penalty.
Rep. Turek's bill currently remains at the committee level during this legislative session.
One of the men advocating for this legislation, Ben Grauer, became a quadriplegic 15 years ago after he dove into an Iowa farm pond, changing his life forever.
"When I dove into the pond, and hit my head on the bottom, that compressed the vertebrae in my neck, which then crushed the fourth and fifth and sixth vertebrae," Grauer explained. "So pretty much from the neck down, I have severe limits to all four of my limbs."
He told Local 5 he never thought he'd be able to find work after the accident, but after searching he came across the right position for him.
Grauer is now a Center for Disability and Development program coordinator at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, where he works on a grant to help individuals who are disabled find competitive, integrated employment.
This grant provided Grauer with the background knowledge to get involved advocating for Turek's legislation.
"One, I'll benefit, which is great," Grauer said. "And then again, there are those tens of thousands of other Iowans that are out there that could use the same benefits."
"There are only certain things that are afforded by Medicaid, only certain services," Grauer added. "For instance, I have health insurance through the University of Iowa, but that does not cover home care, and other custodial care services. That are simply not covered by that insurance through private employers."
Grauer's fiancé, Dani Bird, said they only have two options right now under the current Medicaid for Employed People with Disabilities (MEPD) program.
"Either, I, or both of us, take a significant pay cut, or we get divorced," she said. "And I'm not really interested in either of those things. But that's what we would be faced with, and I think what a lot of couples are faced with when they find themselves needing Medicaid benefits."
Grauer said he has other friends living in Iowa who are also physically disabled, and want to see a change in Medicaid benefits "for all."
Grauer and his fiancé, Dani, plan to get married in November.