In more testimony from this morning’s public hearing:

Ken Olson of Idaho Falls, retired CFO of the state Medicaid program in Texas, spoke on behalf of “a good friend of mine,” Clella Steinke, mother-in-law of the late Jenny Steinke. “Jenny Steinke is one of the many faces of this conversation. I want to talk on their behalf about closing the coverage gap,” he told lawmakers. Reading a statement from Clella Steinke, he said, “Jenny was the light of our son’s life. She and Jason struggled to make ends meet, but they were always working.” After an asthma attack, she died six days later. “Jenny needed prescriptions and an asthma specialist, she needed coverage, not just primary care,” Olson said.

Chelle Gluch told lawmakers, “Primary care will help, but it won’t solve our problems. My husband’s issues cannot be helped in a clinic. He is going to end up in the emergency room again. ... It is horrible to watch someone you love writhe in pain and not be able to do a darn thing about it to help them. … What is going to happen to my family when something happens to me? … I applaud Gov. Otter for making an attempt, but primary care is not the solution. It is not going to solve this problem. If you can just see your way clear to approve Medicaid expansion. … Please, please hear us. There are many of us, many of us, 78,000 who are screaming for your help.”

Kathy Scott said, “We accept federal dollars for maintaining our roads and bridges, for education, for agricultural support, for fighting fires and other natural disasters. I know for myself, I was never happier to grow a year older than when I turned 65 and qualified for Medicare, and I know there are lots of people who feel that way.” She said, “We are part of a great nation where we are compassionate and take care of our citizens. I pay my taxes every year. … When we do not accept that money, mine, yours and everyone else’s in this room, the money goes to other states. Meanwhile we have 78,000 Idaho citizens who don’t have comprehensive health coverage. ... The time has come for us to put ideology aside, to use our tax dollars wisely, and for us to save lives by ensuring all Idaho citizens have comprehensive health insurance.”