Idaho Senate overwhelmingly approves Medicaid budget
The measure now moves on to the House, where the vote is expected to be much closer.
The budget authorizes
Most of the money will go to support the traditional Medicaid program.
However, the budget also includes
There was a fair amount of debate on the measure, although only three senators voted against it: Sens.
Vick noted that the total Medicaid appropriation -- including federal and dedicated funds -- has grown almost 400 percent since 2001, while the
"I think at some point in the future (expanding Medicaid) will haunt us," he said. "In the long term, there are only two ways to pay for it: cutting school funding or raising taxes."
Other lawmakers, however, indicated that rising health care costs are driving much of the Medicaid budget. For the working poor who can't otherwise afford medical care, those costs will either be paid for by the federal program or through county indigent funds and/or cost shifts to people with private health insurance.
"If you say you aren't going to do this, that it's everyone for themselves, you and I are going to end up paying for it anyway," said Sen.
Sen.
"If I thought not voting for this (budget) would address that problem, I'd be the first to vote no," he said. "But it won't. I don't think we have the luxury to vote no just because we don't like the numbers."
Although more than 60 percent of
The governor has indicated that he won't let the Legislature adjourn for the year without appropriating the money to pay for expansion. Some
Legislation to that effect was introduced last week and could be voted on this week by the
Spence may be contacted at [email protected] or (208) 791-9168.
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