More of today’s testimony:

Dr. Marshall Priest, a cardiologist and medical director at St. Luke’s Heart, said, “Every day approximately 78,000 Idahoans face the challenge of living without the stability of health care coverage, forcing them to utilize emergency departments, or go without care until a situation becomes potentially life-threatening.” That, he said, “results in expensive costs to Idaho taxpayers, costs that could be avoided if more individuals had health care coverage. … We believe the most efficient and cost effective way to close the coverage gap should focus on providing comprehensive coverage. This can be done through regular, reliable, high-quality care provided through a medical home in a managed system leveraging state and federal funds … thereby eliminating costly and inefficient programs like the county indigent and catastrophic care programs.”

When Sen. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, asked Priest about medical costs, Priest said he believes “that ship is starting to turn,” because health care providers are beginning to be paid not for how many services they provide, but for the value and health outcomes they achieve. In that approach, he said, “My job is to keep you out of the hospital.” Priest said most health care providers believe that’s the way to go, and he believes it’s starting to make a difference.

Teton County Commissioner Bill Leake told lawmakers, “Closing the coverage gap is one of the best things we can do for individuals, families” and the state. He said counties are funding a costly medical indigency program that could go away if Idaho closed the coverage gap. “We recognize the challenge faced by the Legislature,” he said, “and are pleased that this work group is working on a plan for the upcoming legislative session.”

Matt Forge, a hospital administrator in Cottonwood and Orofino, who called in, said, “While I completely understand that this subject is a highly political subject … it’s personal for many people in our region.” Forge said about 2,000 people in the two counties where he works fall into the coverage gap, which is a high percentage of the patients served. And in the past five years, he’s seen a 44 percent increase in bad debt and charity care at one facility alone. He said that raises questions about “whether we’re going to be able to continue providing services in these rural communities moving forward,” unless the coverage gap is closed.