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Vermeer Named Medicaid Director
Department of Human Services
Director Gene Gessow on Friday named
Jennifer Vermeer to succeed him as
director of the Iowa Medicaid
Enterprise, which administers Iowa's
Medicaid program.
Vermeer, 37, has been assistant IME
director since July 2005 and assumes
her new duties immediately. Gessow
was Medicaid director from 2003
until he was appointed DHS director
Thursday (Sept. 18).
"Jennifer is a quick study who knows
the system, knows how to advocate
for people in need, and knows how to
squeeze a dollar," Gessow said. "I
especially appreciate the
legislative insight that she has
brought to our management."
Prior to her current position,
Vermeer was a senior analyst for the
non-partisan Legislative Services
Agency for two and a half years,
specializing in Medicaid and other
DHS programs.
Vermeer earned her masters degree in
public administration at the
University of Arizona and worked
seven years at the Joint Legislative
Budget Committee in the Arizona
Legislature, the last three as
deputy director, before taking the
Iowa position in December 2002.
Medicaid is a joint state-federal
program that provides health
insurance to Iowa's most vulnerable
people, including children in
low-income families, frail elderly,
people with disabilities, pregnant
women, and parents with very low
incomes.
Medicaid is by far the largest DHS
program, with a current fiscal year
budget of about $712 million in
state funds. State dollars are
matched approximately 2:1 by federal
funds.
About 330,000 people receive
Medicaid services at any one time,
and over the course of a year about
16 percent of Iowa's population is
served by the program.
More than half of Medicaid members
are children, 54 percent, but they
account for only about 17 percent of
expenditures. About 21 percent of
Medicaid members have disabilities.
They account for 52 percent of the
Medicaid budget.
Medicaid is administered by the IME,
which is composed of nine
performance-based contractors
overseen by Vermeer and other state
managers.
Vermeer's salary will be $112,000.
Additional Information:
Updated: September 19, 2008
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