Medicaid expansion bus stops in Moscow

July 06--Luke Mayville, co-founder of Reclaim Idaho, said the most resistance he has seen to the Medicaid expansion campaign is a large cow in the middle of the road outside Donnelly, Idaho, which forced him to slam on the brakes of the dark green 1989 Airex "Medicaid Express" bus he was driving.

"We're getting so little resistance," Mayville told a small group of Medicaid expansion supporters Thursday at Ghormley Park in Moscow. "Everyone we talk to wants to vote for this, no matter where we go."

In April, the campaign to place Idaho Medicaid expansion on the November ballot garnered the 56,192 signatures needed to make the ballot.

In addition, signatures from 6 percent of registered voters in 18 of Idaho's 35 legislative districts were required for the initiative to be placed on the ballot. Those signatures needed to be submitted by April 30.

Mayville said county clerks verified some 73,000 signatures, including signatures from at least 6 percent of registered voters in 20 districts.

The campaign will submit the verified signatures to the Idaho Secretary of State's Office for verification before it is put on the ballot, Mayville said.

He said Reclaim Idaho representatives and supporters will travel throughout the state for the rest of the summer in the Medicaid Express and 1977 Dodge Tioga "Medicaid Mobile," encouraging Idaho residents to vote for the initiative.

If the initiative passes, the estimated 62,000 Idahoans in the Medicaid gap population will have the opportunity to be eligible for Medicaid; those who fall in the gap make too much to qualify for Medicaid, but make too little to qualify for the state health insurance exchange.

According to The Associated Press, GOP delegates last week called on the Idaho Republican Party to formally oppose the Medicaid expansion initiative.

A Republican delegate panel adopted a resolution two weeks ago outlining the opposition during the second day of the Idaho GOP convention in Pocatello.

Just a handful of participants opposed the measure in a voice vote.

Thursday afternoon, Mayville reminded the small crowd of a few "five-word arguments" to use when encouraging residents to vote in favor of the initiative.

He said the first one is "62,000 Idahoans need health care."

Former Idaho 5th District Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, who pushed for Medicaid expansion, attended the brief bus stop tour Thursday.

"There are multiple options available," he said. "This one is the most straightforward, most cost-effective, serves the most people and it fits within the current system that we have."

Bruce Pitman, Family Promise of the Palouse board of directors' president, who was also in attendance Thursday, said he is in favor of Medicaid expansion.

"Health emergencies and health-related expenses are at the root of many poverty issues," Pitman said.

He said he feels strongly that expanding Medicaid to Idahoans will be an important systemic solution, or at least a step toward reducing a fair amount of poverty in the community and in Idaho.

Pitman said Family Promise works with families with challenges, and a number of them become homeless because they are unable to pay medical bills.

"I feel strongly that expansion of Medicaid will give a number of these families an opportunity to, frankly, avoid some of the difficult, difficult challenges related to being homeless," he said.

Idahoans for Healthcare co-chairs, Rep. Christy Perry, R-Nampa, and Reclaim Idaho co-founder Emily Strizich, are scheduled to speak Friday morning outside the Idaho State Capitol in Boise about the initiative.

Garrett Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to [email protected].

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