Today, Republicans on the House Health & Welfare Committee voted to introduce a bill to repeal voter-approved Medicaid expansion.
Medicaid expansion is a major economic driver in Idaho. It supports more than 9,000 jobs and generates over $1.5 billion in economic output statewide. Repeal would put nearly $1 billion in federal funding at risk, dollars that support care, jobs, and state revenue.
Health care providers have warned that Idaho’s rural hospitals are already operating on thin margins. Taking coverage away would not reduce the need for care. It would force more people to delay treatment until conditions become emergencies, driving up uncompensated costs and straining hospitals trying to maintain services and staffing.
In response, Senate Democratic Leader Melissa Wintrow and House Democratic Leader Ilana Rubel issued the following statements:
Senate Democratic Leader Melissa Wintrow said:
“Voters said yes to Medicaid expansion, and some Republican politicians still cannot accept it. Now they are back trying to take health care coverage away from Idahoans through the Legislature after losing at the ballot box.
“This bill goes straight at people who do not have another affordable option: working Idahoans, parents, and families dealing with serious health conditions while doing everything they can to stay afloat. Repeal would push people back into delay, uncertainty, and crisis when they need care most.
“Idahoans should speak out now. Patients, providers, and communities across this state need to tell lawmakers to kill this bill and stop trying to undo what voters already decided.”
House Democratic Leader Ilana Rubel said:
“There is nothing responsible about this bill. It would strip coverage from tens of thousands of Idahoans and dump the consequences onto rural hospitals and communities that are already under strain. It would cost the state far more than it would save, pushing Idaho further into a fiscal hole when we can least afford it.
“When more people lose coverage, hospitals see more unpaid care and are forced into service reductions and closures. Republicans in the Statehouse are putting jobs, federal funding, and local economic stability at risk for no good reason.
“Idaho Democrats will fight this bill. We will fight for the Idahoans who would lose coverage, for the rural hospitals and communities that would be left to absorb the damage, and for the voters whose decision Republican lawmakers are trying to override.”
Medicaid expansion has strong public support. Idaho voters approved the program in 2018, and a statewide poll conducted by GS Strategy Group found support had grown to 73%.
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