Doc blames deaths on legislators

Dr. Kenneth Krell, director of critical care at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, offered chilling testimony to senators today about Idaho’s failure to expand Medicaid to cover 78,000 Idahoans who now fall into a coverage gap. “I see those patients on a near-daily basis through the emergency room who present with end-stage disease,” he said, “dying, often, because those disease processes are now at an end state and have resulted in organ failure that often results in death or really irreparable damage.” He described caring for Jenny Steinke, who died from asthma/ Betsy Russell , Eye on Boise. More here.

Eye on Boise roundup:

• The Medicaid expansion bills
• Heider prefers info hearing only
• State parks rely on fee revenue
• Bill to move up party affiliation deadline dies
• 100s try to hear Medicaid expansion hearing