A report to the Iowa legislature recommends that the state increase Medicare and Medicaid payments in order to increase pay. It also recommends raising public awareness of worker shortages and their impact, creating mentoring programs to prevent turnover/increase retention, and other strategies to strengthen the health and long-term care workforce.”Financing the workforce was a common theme; including better pay and benefits and improving Iowa Medicare reimbursements, allowing Iowa to be more competitive in recruitment,” says The Future of Iowa’s Health and Long-Term Care Workforce: The Health and Long-Term Care Workforce Review and Recommendations. (pdf)