Testimony: ‘I love my son’

Paul Tierney, father of a 14-year-old son with autism, struggled to maintain composure as he urged lawmakers not to cut services that will help his son live as an independent adult when he grows older. “Cutting Medicaid is not the answer to the budget problems of Idaho,” Tierney said. “If we can find money for a 5 percent increase for corrections, we should be able to find money … to keep them out of the correctional system.” He said, “I love my son. … I know that individuals with disabilities are capable of great things. … Please vote no on HB 221 and support people with disabilities in our communities.”

Rosemary Smith, mother of a 16-year-old with developmental disabilities, urged lawmakers not to pass the bill. Bill Benkula of Twin Falls said he and other providers stand ready to work with lawmakers on a better approach, but he said it should be a temporary rule, not a permanent bill. Robert Vande Merwe of the Idaho Health Care Association and Idaho Center for Assisted Living said his organization supports parts of HB 221, but other parts are problematic. “We’re willing to go down this road of managed care,” he said, but some of the provisions are unworkable. In addition, he said it’s not a common practice, nor is it appropriate, to mix populations, such as the aged and the developmentally disabled, in the same facility.