BOISE, IDAHO – As legislative business convenes in the state Capitol, Idaho lawmakers must prioritize access to health care so that tens of thousands of state residents can continue to lead healthy and happy lives and have the best chance to avoid, detect and defeat cancer.
Voter mandated Medicaid expansion has been in place since 2020 and has significantly reduced the uninsured rate, assuring more than 88,000 Idahoans who previously could not afford a marketplace plan have access to insurance and life-saving health care. This coverage is especially crucial to rural Idahoans and the health care systems serving them. Further, recent surveys show 73% of state residents approve of Idaho Medicaid expansion’s service to their family, friends and neighbors.
“As we learned in the 2024 session when so many Idaho residents showed up to let lawmakers know the importance of Medicaid, this issue is crucial,” American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Idaho Government Relations Director Randy Johnson said. “Detecting cancer early is key to saving lives and that’s just the start of the benefits of Medicaid expansion. The program works just as voters knew it would when they approved it in 2018.”
Regular visits to health care providers and appropriate screenings and diagnostics are a significant factor in early identification and treatment of cancer, improving overall health outcomes and saving lives. More than 11,000 Idahoans were diagnosed with cancer and more than 3,000 lost their lives to the disease in 2024. But with only 42% of state employers offering health benefits, thousands of Idahoans work hard yet often cannot access health benefits through their jobs. Unquestionably, this means individuals making lower incomes are less likely to survive cancer diagnosis, a reality that should be unacceptable to all, including Idaho legislators, who should prioritize keeping Idahoans covered.
Health care advocates will rally at the capitol for Idaho Supports Medicaid Day on January 28, meeting with lawmakers to make a clear ask: Take a stand against cancer by supporting an appropriately funded and barrier-free Idaho Medicaid program. Advocates will also screen a short film that documents the benefits Idahoans have experienced through Medicaid expansion. Idaho Supports Medicaid: In Our Words is a film partnership between ACS CAN and Idaho Voices for Children and clearly shows the human impact of the program.
ACS CAN will also ask lawmakers to support people who want to quit using tobacco by moving quickly to raise Idaho’s cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack with a parallel tax on all other tobacco products. Johnson said this measure will generate revenue, protect kids, and save lives. Significant tobacco tax increases are one of the most effective ways to prevent kids from starting to use tobacco and help adults quit. Passing this policy will help every resident of our state by reducing tobacco use and addiction, leading to fewer deaths and suffering from tobacco-related diseases like cancer.
Tobacco use is still the leading preventable cause of disease and death in Idaho and smoking is now linked to at least 12 types of cancers. Each year, about 1,800 die from a smoking-related disease in Idaho alone. Although these hazards are well established, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show 10% of adults in Idaho smoke and 18.5% of high school students use tobacco products, nearly double the national average.
ACS CAN encourages individuals, businesses and organizations that are interested in getting involved in the fight against cancer to visit https://www.fightcancer.org/states/idaho
