1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

I am writing to you today as a deeply concerned constituent to urge you to reconsider the decision to sunset Iowa’s Integrated Health Home (IHH) program by the end of this year. The plan to phase out adult services by September 30 and children’s services by December 31 poses an immediate and serious threat to some of Iowa’s most vulnerable residents. The people who rely on IHH services—many of whom live with severe mental illness, autism, developmental disorders, or dual diagnoses—depend on long-standing relationships with care coordinators who know them inside and out. These care teams recognize subtle shifts in behavior that can indicate a deeper crisis, and they step in before tragedy strikes. Disrupting that support, especially under the rushed and untested rollout of a new model, will undoubtedly lead to unnecessary suffering—and, for some, even death. It is hard to understand how this is being allowed to happen, especially when families and frontline workers are sounding the alarm. Parents are terrified that their adult children will regress without the trusted support systems they currently have. Providers are scrambling with no clear path for continuity. And managed care organizations, which are already overwhelmed, are now expected to absorb thousands of complex cases with limited time and staffing. This is not how a moral society treats people in crisis. It is not Christian to knowingly allow others to suffer. As followers of Christ, we are called to care for “the least of these”—to provide compassion, stability, and love to those who are sick, struggling, or left behind. This decision does the opposite. It breaks apart what little safety net exists for people with serious mental health challenges. It ignores the pleas of caregivers. And it dismisses the life-or-death reality that mental illness can become when support disappears. I urge you to act now to prevent catastrophe. Please advocate for: A delay or pause in the IHH phase-out to ensure no interruption in services. Mandatory continuity of care during any transition, with current coordinators remaining involved. Adequate staffing and funding to make any new system truly functional and responsive. Strong oversight and accountability to identify and fix problems before lives are lost. Lives are on the line. The decisions made in these next few months will determine whether Iowa stands for compassion and care—or whether it chooses to look away as people fall through the cracks. I hope you will choose the path of mercy, protection, and moral leadership. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.