Testimony: ‘Moral obligation,’ ‘Savings based on thin air,’ ‘Stuck in a terrible cycle’
Among those testifying at this afternoon’s Medicaid expansion hearing:
Boise Mayor David Bieter said, “I think this is the most important public policy decision in the state of Idaho by far. ... I think every Idahoan believes that when we see suffering, we have a moral obligation to do what we can to eliminate that. …This is something you can do now. I really urge you to pass this bill.”
Lobbyist Mike Brassey spoke in support as well, and Health & Welfare Chairman Lee Heider then asked, “Is there anyone in the room who has a differing opinion? … It would be nice to have divergence of opinion.”
Fred Birnbaum of the Idaho Freedom Foundation then testified against SB 1204 and 1205. “The savings that are projected are based on thin air in my opinion,” he said, “because we simply don’t know what future congresses are going to do.”
Chelle Gluch spoke of her family’s situation. “We simply cannot afford our medical care,” she told the senators. “From the beginning, my family has been squeezed. My husband is chronically ill. .. Dealing with this is like trying to escape quicksand. My husband wants to work, so when the pain gets severe, he seeks medical attention. ... We owe $60,000 in medical debt. ... We are stuck tight in a terrible cycle.”
Jim Baugh, executive director of Disability Rights Idaho, told the committee, “The single most important thing you can do to fix Idaho’s very severely stressed mental health system would be to adopt one of these two programs. People with severe and persistent mental illness need more than primary care. They need specialty care, hospitalization, and they need coordinated care.”
