¶ Overview
In 2023, Brad Sherman voted for legislation that restricted Medicaid eligibility for Iowans, and was expected to kick thousands of Iowans off of Medicaid and SNAP benefits. He also sponsored a separate public assistance crackdown targeting Medicaid eligibility in Iowa while advocates warned the restrictions would put health care and food assistance out of reach for vulnerable Iowans. In 2025, more than 600,000 Iowans relied on Medicaid to access health care.
¶ Brad Sherman Voted For And Sponsored Legislation To Restrict Medicaid Access For Thousands Of Iowans
¶ Brad Sherman Voted For A Public Assistance Crackdown That Restricted Medicaid Access And Was Expected To Leave Thousands Of Iowans Without Health Care
¶ Brad Sherman Voted For Medicaid And SNAP Eligibility Restrictions, Which Was “Expected To Kick Thousands Of Iowans Off Of Medicaid And SNAP Benefits”
April 2023: Brad Sherman Voted For SF 494, Which Made Eligibility Changes To SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP, And The Family Investment Program. In April 2023, according to the Iowa Legislature, Brad Sherman voted for Senate File 494, which “makes various changes related to public assistance programs under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Changes by section include the following: • Section 1 creates various definitions, including defining ‘public assistance’ as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Medicaid Program, the Family Investment Program (FIP), and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP); ‘asset’ as liquid assets and other personal property excluding one vehicle and the fair market value in excess of $10,000 of an additional vehicle; and ‘asset test’ as including the value of all assets of all members of the applicant’s household up to $15,000. • Section 2 establishes the gross countable monthly income threshold for SNAP in Iowa at 160.0% of the federal poverty level (FPL) for the household.” Senate File 494 passed the Iowa House by a vote of 58 to 41, and the bill was ultimately signed into law. [Iowa Legislature – Senate File 494; Iowa House Of Representatives, 4/13/23; Legislative Services Agency – Fiscal Note, 5/9/23]
- 2023: Governor Reynolds Signed Senate File 494 Into Law, Which Was “Expected To Kick Thousands Of Iowans Off Of Medicaid And SNAP Benefits.” According to the Des Moines Register, “Iowans receiving public assistance will soon face new asset tests and eligibility checks, the culmination of a years-long push by Iowa Republicans to impose stricter requirements on benefit programs. The move is expected to kick thousands of Iowans off of Medicaid and SNAP benefits and has drawn the condemnation of food banks and pantries that say they are already struggling to keep up with the need. To help soften the blow, Gov. Kim Reynolds promised to use federal funding to expand food banks. Senate File 494, which Reynolds signed Thursday, will require Iowa families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds to undergo a new asset test before they can obtain food assistance. And Iowans receiving a range of benefits, including from Medicaid and other public health care programs, will face regular checks to make sure they qualify.” [Des Moines Register, 6/2/23]
- 2023: The New Law Was Expected To Affect 287,000 Iowans Who Received SNAP To Afford Groceries And More Than 800,000 Iowa Medicaid Recipients. According to the Des Moines Register, “Among those affected by the new law are the roughly 287,000 Iowans who receive SNAP benefits each month and the more than 800,000 Iowans receiving health care through Medicaid. The nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency estimates that, beginning in fiscal year 2026, about 1% of Iowans will have their benefits canceled ‘due to discrepancies.’ That means about 8,000 Medicaid recipients and 2,800 SNAP recipients would be kicked out of the programs.” [Des Moines Register, 6/2/23]
- The Legislative Services Agency Estimated 8,000 Iowa Medicaid Recipients And 2,800 Iowa SNAP Recipients Would Have Their Benefits Canceled “Due To Discrepancies.” According to the Des Moines Register, “The nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency estimates that, beginning in fiscal year 2026, about 1% of Iowans will have their benefits canceled ‘due to discrepancies.’ That means about 8,000 Medicaid recipients and 2,800 SNAP recipients would be kicked out of the programs.” [Des Moines Register, 6/2/23]
- The Legislative Services Agency Also Estimated 600 Iowans Would Be Removed From CHIP And 100 Iowans Would Be Removed From The Family Investment Program. According to the Des Moines Register, “The agency estimates 600 people would be removed from the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and 100 would be removed from the Family Investment Program.” [Des Moines Register, 6/2/23]
- The New Law Required Medicaid And Other Public Health Assistance To Face Routine Checks To Verify Eligibility. According to the Des Moines Register, “Senate File 494, which Reynolds signed Thursday, will require Iowa families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds to undergo a new asset test before they can obtain food assistance. And Iowans receiving a range of benefits, including from Medicaid and other public health care programs, will face regular checks to make sure they qualify.” [Des Moines Register, 6/2/23]
- The New Law Imposed New Identity Verification Protocols And Required Medicaid Recipients In Iowa To Cooperate With Child Support Services As A Condition To Receive Benefits. According to the Des Moines Register, “The law requires state agencies that deliver benefits, such as the Department of Health and Human Services and Iowa Workforce Development, to check new sources of information to determine if Iowans are eligible. Before Iowans could be enrolled in benefit programs, they will need to verify their identity through a questionnaire that could be completed online, in person or by phone — but can't be done through a paper application. The law requires Medicaid recipients in Iowa to cooperate with child support services as a condition of receiving benefits through the program.” [Des Moines Register, 6/2/23]
¶ Brad Sherman Sponsored Legislation Tightening Medicaid Eligibility
January 2023: Brad Sherman Sponsored HF 3, A Public Assistance Crackdown That Tightened Medicaid Eligibility. In January 2023, according to the Iowa Legislature, Brad Sherman was an original sponsor of House File 3, which included provisions stating that “the department shall establish and implement an asset test and verification procedures for applicants and recipients under the supplemental nutrition assistance program;” directing that “the department of health and human services shall apply for any federal waiver necessary to implement work or community engagement requirements under the medical assistance program;” and requiring that “the department shall seek federal approval to restrict eligible food items for recipients under the supplemental nutrition assistance program to those items eligible for purchase under the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children.” HF 3 advanced out of a House Health and Human Services subcommittee on a 2 to 1 vote. The bill was later amended and renumbered as HF 613, but legislation did not ultimately become law. [Iowa Legislature – House File 3; Iowa House Of Representatives, Introduced 1/11/23]
- 2023: Advocates Raised Alarms That New Medicaid Work Requirements And New Identity Verification Procedures Would Harm Iowans. According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, “Lobbyists representing groups including the Iowa Food Bank Association, Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Des Moines Area Religious Council said these proposals would not only create administrative burdens for the state government and those helping Iowans in need, but also could keep people who need help through public assistance programs from getting that aid. Advocates voiced concerns about other changes to Iowa’s public assistance programs laid out in the legislation outside of the WIC food limitations. The bill proposes new asset restrictions on Iowans who receive SNAP and Medicaid benefits. It also would require Medicaid recipients work 20 hours a week as well as implement new identity verification procedures.” [Iowa Capital Dispatch, 1/26/23]
- 2023: The Legislation Would Have Imposed Asset Tests That Would Have Excluded Many Low-Income Iowans From Receiving Public Assistance, Like Owning More Than One Vehicle. According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, “The asset tests would keep poor Iowans from getting benefits if they have more than one car, which advocates said was unrealistic for households with multiple people who work or have children. The 20-hour-a-week work requirement is unrealistic, advocates said, for people who need Medicaid to treat illnesses so they can work in the future.” [Iowa Capital Dispatch, 1/26/23]
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2025: Iowa Medicaid Covered More Than 600,000 Iowans And Provided Health Care For Working Families Across The State
In 2025, Iowa Medicaid Provided Health Coverage To More Than 603,000 Iowans, Including Children, Seniors, People With Disabilities, And Working Adults. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation,
[Kaiser Family Foundation, Accessed 12/18/25]