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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Medicaid redesign group opts for hybrid model, includes private insurance

Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho work group has tweaked its recommendations on expanding Medicaid eligibility in a last-minute effort to make their plan more politically palatable to lawmakers. Work group facilitator Corey Surber says the 15-member group approved a hybrid model Friday. The group had finalized a proposal to Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter back in August. However, lawmakers warned the proposal's blanket support of Medicaid expansion would fail to even be considered when the Republican-controlled Legislature convenes in January. Unlike in August, this proposal won the support of three out of the four lawmakers who sit on the work group, with only House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, voting no. Under the new plan, adults earning 100 percent to 138 percent of the poverty line could purchase private insurance on Idaho's health insurance marketplace using federal dollars. Adults below 100 percent of the poverty line, Idaho's lowest-income participants, would be provided Medicaid coverage. Idaho currently doesn't cover adults on Medicaid unless they're disabled or have children; non-disabled parents are covered only up to 26 percent of the poverty line.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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