Via the AP:
A small group of Idaho lawmakers did not come to a consensus Monday on the best way to provide medical care for the estimated 78,000 Idahoans without health coverage, and decided instead to submit a long list of recommendations to be considered during the 2017 legislative session.
“Chances are better than ever we get something done,” said Republican Rep. Tom Loertscher, co-chairman of the 10-member legislative interim committee. “However, you have to understand that we are only 10 of the gang here.”
Loertscher added that it’s time for the state to act after allowing county officials for years to shoulder the burden of finding ways to provide care to Idaho’s poorest.
Various ideas floated Monday included simply expanding Medicaid as allowed under the Affordable Care Act; asking the private sector to draft a bill that would expand Medicaid with the private sector covering any state costs; creating a grant program to cover primary care services to the so-called Medicaid gap population that included accountability requirements.
But the lawmakers could not agree on which way was best to recommend, so they decided to the majority of their ideas into a report to be finalized Nov. 22 and serve as guidance for future proposals.
“We have a lot of people that don’t make good health care choices, and I think we need to start making it so that there are consequences if you don’t,” said House Majority Caucus Chairman John Vander Woude, who is a committee member.