BOISE, Idaho (AP) — More than 100 health care advocates held a rally at the Idaho Capitol asking lawmakers to address the state’s uninsured population.
Organizers with Close the Gap Idaho say lawmakers should advance legislation that would expand Medicaid eligibility to roughly 35,000 residents and lower premiums for those who purchase health coverage on the state-based health insurance exchange. However, that bill has since been deemed dead for the year due to a lack of Republican support.
About 78,000 working Idahoans are believed to be in the gap population that earns too much to qualify for Medicaid, but too little to qualify for insurance subsidies.
Idaho could resolve this gap population by expanding Medicaid eligibility, as allowed under the Affordable Care Act, but lawmakers have repeatedly rejected such efforts.