Government Healthcare Policy, Business and Technology

Idaho Health Care Plan bill introduced, gets three GOP 'no' votes

Idaho Statesman: The House Health & Welfare Committee voted Monday morning to introduce legislation to authorize the Otter Administration to seek waivers from the federal government in order to launch the Idaho Health Care Plan, which would allow about 35,000 Idahoans who now fall into a coverage gap to qualify for subsidized health insurance through the state insurance exchange, plus allow about 2,500 to 3,500 Idahoans with specific serious health conditions to transfer into Medicaid, to lower costs for the exchange plans.

House Health & Welfare Chairman Fred Wood, R-Burley, said, “The intent here is we will introduce today, if that’s the committee’s wish. In about 10 days … we will have an informational hearing only in the Lincoln Auditorium, where we invite the entire Legislature. ... And then roughly a week after that we will actually have a formal hearing on the merits and then vote on the bill. So we want all the opportunity in the world for this committee and the entire Legislature to get all of their questions asked about exactly what this program is, how the program is going to operate, what the cost of the program is, etc., etc., so we can make an informed decision.”

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