IOWA  —  Members of Iowa CCI Action Fund and recipients of Medicaid took to the state capitol on Tuesday to protest the privatization of Medicaid, which they say is not working.

“We must be as relentless as this current administration in our fight for the lives of Iowans,” said one attendee.

Then-governor Branstad privatized the Medicaid system in 2016. He said it would save the state up to $280 million, but it has only saved $40 million. Instead, that shift has made it harder for many Iowans to get some needed prescriptions and services.

Several people spoke to the crowd about how privatized Medicaid is impacting them, asking Governor Reynolds and state legislature to end what they call “a failed experiment”.