Bill Would Limit State Medical Aid

People injured in Idaho but who don’t live here would no longer have the state pay their medical costs if a bill introduced Friday by Rep. Jeff Alltus, R-Coeur d’Alene, passes the Legislature.

The bill, co-sponsored by Democratic Rep. Carol Pietsch of Sandpoint, would allow Idaho to catch up with its surrounding states. Utah, Montana, Washington, Oregon and Nevada all have residency requirements for programs that pay for emergency medical costs for people who can’t afford treatment.

Alltus and Pietsch said the bill could save Idaho counties up to $1.5 million in payments to other states. The counties have to cover the cost above $10,000 for non-residents injured in Idaho who can’t pay.

The House Health and Welfare Committee approved the bill, and the House Local Government Committee will hold a hearing on it in the future, Pietsch said. Early estimates of the savings were as high as $2 million for the counties, she said.

The residency requirement to receive state help in medical costs would be 60 days for Idaho, she said.