Medicaid expansion

The Idaho Supreme Court today [Tuesday] heard a challenge to the state’s tough new initiative signature law. It requires sponsors of ballot measures to collect signatures from every corner of the state. The sponsors say that makes it nearly impossible to qualify a measure for a vote.

As Idaho’s legislature moves to the end of its session, lawmakers have said yes to a new Medicaid budget and then no to money for more Covid testing in schools.

A bill that would toughen the signature requirements for initiatives in Idaho has gone to Governor Brad Little’s desk. He has until Saturday to sign it.

This year’s bill would require signatures from six-percent of registered voters in all 35 legislative districts in order to quality a measure for the ballot.

The founder of Idaho’s successful Medicaid expansion initiative yesterday [Wednesday] filed another ballot measure — about initiatives.

Luke Mayville, who co-founded the group Reclaim Idaho, acted on the same day that the state House voted 51-18 for a bill that would toughen initiative signature gathering requirements.

The Idaho House Wednesday approved a bill that could make it more challenging to get a state-wide initiative on the ballot.

The bill requires that sponsors collect signatures from at least 6% of registered voters in each of the state’s 35 legislative districts. The current standard is 6% in 18 districts.

Idaho’s Senate on Wednesday heard testimony on legislation that would make it more difficult for citizens to place initiatives on statewide ballots.

Sen. Steve Vick’s [R-Dalton Gardens] bill would change the signature gathering requirements. Initiative sponsors currently need to collect signatures from at least 6% of the number of qualified voters in 18 of the 35 legislative districts. Vick would require 6% in all 35 districts.

Idaho officials say the number of people who signed up for health insurance under the state insurance exchange was down this year.

The decrease was exactly what officials anticipated would occur with the recent Medicaid expansion.

The Medicaid program in Idaho will officially expand at the start of 2020. Voters last year approved an initiative that mandates that. State officials say almost half of Idahoans who are eligible (more than 43,000 out of 91,000) have signed up for coverage since the beginning of the registration period on November 1.

The state continues to negotiate with the federal government on a handful of waivers that would allow Idaho to deviate from Medicaid rules.

The state of Idaho has opened its annual enrollment for health insurance plans.

One hundred thousand people signed up last year, and about the same number is expected this year. There are 129 plans available, and four insurance carriers in most Idaho counties.

Idaho state officials say they’re surprised and disappointed by the federal government’s response to the state’s application for a Medicaid expansion waiver.

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rejected Idaho’s request for a waiver of federal rules that would allow the Gem State to expand Medicaid.

The Idaho Senate today [Tuesday] approved a compromise bill that would expand Medicaid in the state. The bill includes a work requirement, but it wouldn’t remove people who don’t fulfill that requirement.

The Idaho House today [Thursday] voted to impose work restrictions on people who sign up for Medicaid if and when the program expands.

The vote was 45-to-25 and came just one day after a committee voted to move the bill to the House for debate.

The work requirements are in a bill sponsored by Rep. John Vander Woude (R-Nampa).

Editor's Note: The Idaho House approved this bill, 45-25, Thursday afternoon. It goes next to the state Senate.

Thursday on the Inland Journal podcast, we’ll hear about the battle that rages in Boise between Idaho legislators who want to kill or water down the Medicaid expansion initiative approved by voters in November. We’ll hear testimony from Wednesday on a new bill designed to impose work requirements on low-income people who would qualify for subsidized health care.

Today on the Inland Journal podcast, the debate about Medicaid expansion in Idaho ratchets up another notch. A state representative from Nampa introduces a bill that would impose work restrictions on some Medicaid recipients. We’ll talk with him and with an opponent. And we’ll talk about the housing market, both in Spokane and nationwide, on the eve of a Spokane Home Builders Association conference.

The Idaho Supreme Court today [Tuesday] heard arguments on a challenge to the Medicaid expansion initiative approved by voters last November.

Attorney Bryan Smith made the case for the Idaho Freedom Foundation, which is challenging Proposition 2.

Advocates for Medicaid expansion are calling on Idaho lawmakers to ensure the Medicaid expansion initiative, approved by Idaho voters in November, goes into effect without any modifications.

The Idaho legislature gets back to work today [Tuesday] now that the opening day ceremonies are out of the way.

Those include the traditional State of the State address, delivered by Governor Brad Little not long after his official swearing in.

Governor Little pledged to make education his top priority. He said he would support moving forward with the fifth year of his predecessor’s five-year education plan. That includes another round of pay raises for teachers.

Idaho’s Medicaid expansion initiative, Proposition 2, picked up Governor Butch Otter’s endorsement today [Tuesday]. Supporters hope that will convince undecided voters to support the measure during next Tuesday’s election.

Otter and his wife Lori appear briefly in a new TV ad for the proposition.