Increases in Idaho’s death rate expected

Within days you will know the final candidates for the 2027-2028 legislature. Please ask each of your district’s candidates one question – “How will Idaho assist the 80,000 additional Idahoans who will not have health insurance in 2027?”

According to the Capital Sun (April 23), 24,400 Idahoans qualified for 2026 insurance through the state exchange, but — after looking at premium costs — they didn’t select a policy. The 2025 Congress had quit subsidizing premiums, and many Idahoans faced increased monthly costs of $400 or more.

Most of the benefit cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill of 2025 haven’t taken effect yet. Clean energy credits have been wiped out and subsidies for affordable housing cut, But cuts in food aid and Medicaid are yet to come. The cynical say these were postponed so Republican voters wouldn’t defect prior to the 2026 elections. Before November, temporary tax cuts; after, cuts in food health insurance.

Medicaid payments to providers were cut for Gov. Brad Little’s 4% cuts in 2025. That’s damaging when payments hardly cover providers’ costs in a state that already has the least number of physicians per person (1:633). Some providers did limit — or end — services for Medicaid patients.

The 2016 Idaho legislature’s work requirement bill was quickly followed by a Congressional one. Twenty hours of work a week will soon be required of anyone covered by Medicaid Expansion if they’re in good health and not caring for the very young or the very handicapped.

The purpose is to get people to work. Yet, work requirements in two states, Arkansas and Georgia, resulted in drastic cuts in Medicaid recipients without any increase in employment. Jobs don’t appear overnight just because more people apply. Some jobs require shifts when babysitters aren’t available – like weekends or 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. And pay at most beginning jobs hardly covers the cost of a babysitter for two or more children before and after school.

But in many cases the problem was overloaded software. Applicants claim they filled out the online form four to six times without it being accepted before they gave up. Idaho leaders don’t plan to tackle this –managing eligibility will go to the company with the lowest bid. Idaho has had mixed success with that.

Estimates are that, in addition to the 24,400 Idahoans that dropped state exchange policies, 36,000 to 48,000 Idahoans on Medicaid Expansion may fail to fulfill job requirements, and another 20,000 to 40,000 may lose Medicaid due to cuts in services.

There are predictable consequences.

Medicaid Expansion has eased the demands on courts, jails, indigent care funds, and behavioral health providers. Estimates are for every dollar cut from Medicaid, the costs of these related services will increase $1.50. Citizens losing health care will mean fewer jobs for health care professionals and less income for clinics and hospitals. The job losses will mean less income tax for the state government.

These usual arguments are based on dollars and cents because legislators feel responsible for the budget, but arguments based on human suffering and deaths just make most of them angry. Yes, they cut preventive medicine, but they don’t see that as their responsibility — as leaders in 75 other countries have.

When Medicaid Expansion started here, Idaho did away with the laws stating that counties paid hospital bills for indigent care and that the state help with exceptionally large bills. Yet, these laws were slanted more toward keeping hospitals in business than saving lives.

But even that help is no longer available to Idahoans. Chances are that within a few years we will all know someone who goes home to rest when he has major chest pain or puts off a colon scoping until she has blockage.

Ask your potential legislators just how they plan to help the 80,000 Idahoans without health insurance next year.