Medicaid Interim Committee Rejects Democrat’s Motion to Wait for Data

Idaho State Capitol – On Sept. 13, the Equitable Assessment of Costs Related to Medicaid Expansion interim committee met for the third time. The committee recommended that up to $10 million be taken from the counties to help pay the cost of Medicaid expansion.

Senator Maryanne Jordan/(D-Boise) made a motion to wait a year after expansion implementation to collect accurate data on the cost savings, if any, to counties. It did not pass.

“We have no data on how Medicaid Expansion will impact indigent healthcare coverage in counties and we don’t have answers from the federal government about whether or not healthcare restrictions will be approved,” Sen. Jordan explained. “The committee’s recommendations would shift the state’s responsibility for the Medicaid match onto property taxpayers.”

“The committee is premature in trying to address this issue, we’re in search of a problem that hasn’t been identified yet.” Representative Brooke Green/(D-Boise), a member of the committee, said. “There are a myriad of moving pieces still in play with Medicaid Expansion. The interim committee is expecting counties to pay a portion of the Medicaid when it was made clear in committee today, that the state has existing funds to cover the cost. I made it very clear in committee, if Medicaid Expansion results in any savings at the county level, we need to pass on savings, no matter how small, to the property owners.”