Letters for Tuesday, Feb. 3

Medicaid community-based services are lifelines

As Idaho legislators debate proposed Medicaid budget cuts, I want to put a human face on what those decisions mean.

I am the mother of a 7-year-old autistic son who relies on Medicaid-funded, community-based services. Before receiving these services, my son could not speak. He struggled with basic daily tasks and required constant supervision. Independence was not a realistic expectation.

Today, because of consistent access to therapies through Medicaid, my son can talk, communicate his needs, and do many things independently. He is thriving. That progress did not happen by accident. It happened because these services work.

Cutting Medicaid community-based services threatens to undo years of hard-earned progress for children like my son and thousands of families across Idaho. When these services are reduced or eliminated, children do not simply pause their development . They regress. Skills are lost. Families are pushed into crisis. Long-term costs increase through emergency care, institutional placement and lost workforce participation.

These programs do not waste taxpayer dollars. They save them by keeping people with disabilities in their homes, supporting independence, and preventing far more expensive outcomes down the road.

Beyond my role as a parent, I advocate for individuals with disabilities throughout our community. I see daily how these services allow people to contribute, work and live with dignity.

Medicaid community-based services are not extras. They are lifelines. I urge Idaho legislators to protect these programs and the families who depend on them.

Tiffany Klauba

Post Falls

Treatment at emergency room

Most of us would prefer not to go to ER for medical care, especially on a holiday. Recently I contacted a triage RN by phone to report concerning symptoms and was advised to do just that. After arriving at Deaconess Hospital, I was greeted by an intake staff member who asked only pertinent questions and promptly directed me to be seated in the waiting room.

Every person in the waiting room has a story, but nobody feels like talking. We were all worried, some suffering from painful symptoms and others appearing to have settled in as if they knew the drill. I noticed several attendants who walked around delivering messages and observing who needed attention. Everyone was spoken to in the same calm, reassuring manner.

When I was eventually escorted to a room, I was relieved to find a technician and RN ready to assist me. A short time later the physician came in to go over my health history. Returning later to share my test results, she discussed a treatment plan that I found acceptable. Five hours later I walked out of the ER with my husband.

We’ve all heard about how broken the medical system is in our country. But I am still marveling over the care I received that day. I credit the dedicated staff and professionals that treated me. They rise above what is expected and make their patients feel noticed in a system that is remarkably accessible and efficient.

Jean Haskell

Spokane