In a series of unanimous votes this morning, legislative budget writers finished budget-setting for the giant state Department of Health & Welfare, setting budgets for the divisions of indirect support services, independent councils, licensing and certification and healthcare policy initiatives. Extensive review by a working group of seven JFAC members concluded in budget proposals for the divisions that generally matched Gov. Butch Otter’s proposals.

Overall, for Health & Welfare – the budget for which has been set in pieces by division over the course of the past month – JFAC has approved a budget that reflects a 6.6 percent increase next year from all funding sources, compared to Otter’s recommendation of a 9.9 percent increase and the agency’s budget request for a 10.3 percent increase.

In state general funds, the budget shows a 8.1 percent increase, compared to Otter’s recommendation of 11.6 percent and the department’s original request of 14.1 percent.

The main reason that the budget set by JFAC is below Otter’s recommendation is because of the removal of all funding for the Idaho Health Care Plan, the dual-waiver program that Otter proposed to provide health coverage for about 38,000 Idahoans who now fall into a coverage gap; that bill cleared a House committee, but never came up for a vote in the full House, and instead was pulled back to committee.