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Wearing yellow boots and lime green vests, state officials toured flooded sections of downtown Davenport today (fri). Mayor Frank Klipsch was the guide for Governor Kim Reynolds, Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, and 2nd District Congressman Dave Loebsack.
Several blocks lined with businesses and apartments have been surrounded by Mississippi River floodwater since a temporary floodwall failed on Tuesday.
The temporary floodwall protecting this section of downtown Davenport had held back the river for 41 days before the breach on Tuesday. Downtown residents and businesses had been warned beforehand that it might fail, but still had little time, only about one hour, to protect their buildings and evacuate.
The state of Iowa could soon find out if its Medicaid program is being overcharged by prescription drug industry middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers.
State and federal lawmakers have been scrutinizing pharmacy benefit managers as a possible reason for rising drug prices. The state of Ohio conducted a similar review and found these middlemen overcharged its Medicaid program by about 220-million dollars.
State Auditor Rob Sand is launching an investigation of their billing practices within Iowa Medicaid.
This comes after Iowa lawmakers ultimately failed this year to pass a proposal that would’ve directed a state agency to conduct this review.