Idaho House panel backs health gap coverage plan after emotional hearing
At the close of the committee's second lengthy hearing on the bill in two weeks, Rep.
That "barrel," he said, is full of people in
"Everything I hear -- it is an
The proposal relies on seeking two waivers from federal rules: One to allow the 35,000 Idahoans whose incomes fall below the federal poverty line to qualify for insurance subsidies; and the other to allow the state to shift 2,500 to 3,500 of the sickest Idahoans who now have private insurance through the exchange onto Medicaid. State officials estimate that moving those very ill or dying patients off the state insurance exchange will lower costs for everyone else -- by enough to cover the new subsidies for low-income folks.
Several committee members said that crossed a line for them -- they didn't want to see any additional people moved into the Medicaid program.
Rep.
Redman said he views the care for that group of very sick Idahoans as an appropriate role for the federal government, in part because the federal government controls more than 60 percent of the land in
"If we didn't have 62 percent of our lands under the federal control, maybe we could have the income coming in and the taxes and the like where we could afford more
Rep.
The panel heard three hours of public testimony on Wednesday, nearly all of it in favor of the plan; it also held a multihour hearing a week earlier, just to allow committee members to question state officials about the details of the plan. Among those speaking in favor of the bill on Wednesday were representatives of the
She said, "I am a full-time caregiver for my daughter who uses a wheelchair, and my father, who also has a disability. ... For our family of seven, it's a choice between a
Slavin said, "It is a gross injustice. ... I need more than good luck and well wishes to get through this."
Several advocates objected to the late inclusion of work requirements in the bill, but otherwise supported it; the state
Rep.
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