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Repealing the ACA without an adequate replacement jeopardizes the health care coverage and economic well-being of the most vulnerable Iowans.

Iowa’s expansion of Medicaid has increased access to health care for thousands. These latest census findings set a baseline for an evaluation of the impact of privatization of Medicaid that Governor Branstad imposed this year.

When the 2016 session began, Iowa faced a host of critical challenges. This session has done little to ease any of the major concerns, and nothing to meet them for the long term.

The new health-coverage data show Iowans gaining both in public coverage, which would include the expansion of Medicaid resulting from the Affordable Care Act, and in private coverage.

Over half the jobs in Iowa pay less than what is needed by many families to achieve basic self-sufficiency. Work support programs are important — but “cliffs” in those programs can send a family’s total resources plummeting with even a small increase in income.

Even with better health insurance coverage than most states, a quarter of a million Iowans were without insurance in 2013. Public policies now in place — including Obamacare — should reduce that.

Iowans with very low food security — their families’ lives disrupted by a lack of resources for food — rose by about half from 2001-03 to 2011-13.

“Iowans are less likely to receive health insurance through their jobs, a trend we have seen for some time, while private insurance has become increasingly costly.”