Gov. Little recently proposed cutting Medicaid by up to $118 million. This includes cuts to the Medicaid expansion program and also to traditional Medicaid, which provides health care services primarily for children and seniors.

These cuts are unnecessary. Federal relief funds for COVID-19 are boosting the Medicaid budget by over $100 million per year--which is more than enough to make up for the increased costs of Medicaid Expansion.

Medicaid expansion is predicted to cost the state of Idaho roughly $29 million additional dollars in fiscal year 2022. But the federal government  boost will be more than enough to offset the that and the Biden administration plans to continue this funding until 2022.

A recent budget analysis by Close the Gap Idaho predicts that by June of this year, the Medicaid budget will see a $63 million surplus.

It’s bad that our lawmakers would attempt to cut people’s health care during a time of economic uncertainty for so many Idaho families. It’s callous and immoral that they would cut Medicaid, a lifeline and safety net for many, at a time when there’s no financial reason to do so.

MARY ROWE

Sandpoint