BOISE, Idaho –– The Idaho Senate today ignored the clear will of its constituents and passed House Bill 345, which would strip health care from thousands of hard-working Idahoans and make significant, damaging changes to voter-initiated Medicaid expansion.
Policies like work-reporting requirements, increasing out-of-pocket health costs for low-income people and making it more difficult to enroll and maintain enrollment in Medicaid by eliminating use of state data sources and requiring more frequent paperwork from enrollees just adds to government red tape and confusion for Idahoans who use Medicaid. Collectively, these changes have the potential to strip Medicaid coverage from tens of thousands of our friends and neighbors – they are simply Medicaid cuts by another name.
Perhaps most troubling is the Idaho Legislature’s persistent and brazen disregard for the voices of their constituents who have clearly asked them repeatedly to keep the program in place without changes. Further, the fast-tracking HB 345 limits the period for public input and is another example of legislators serving entities beyond Idaho over Idahoans.
Advocates of ACS CAN urge Gov. Brad Little to make right what the legislature got wrong, hear the overwhelming voices of Idahoans in opposition to Medicaid cuts, and veto HB 345.
This statement from Randy Johnson, Government Relations Director for ACS CAN Idaho can be used in full or in part:
“We are deeply disappointed by the passage of HB 345, which creates unnecessary barriers to health care access for Idahoans—especially cancer patients and those with serious illnesses. This bill does nothing to improve efficiency or reduce costs in a meaningful way. Instead, it adds red tape that will strip eligible individuals of their coverage. We’ve seen firsthand how bureaucratic hurdles cause people to lose coverage—not because they are ineligible, but due to unnecessary administrative obstacles. Medicaid expansion has been a lifeline for thousands of Idahoans, and this legislation threatens that progress. We will continue fighting to protect access to health care and ensure Idahoans don’t lose life-saving coverage due to misguided policies. We hope Gov. Little understands the damage this will cause and drops a veto on it.”