Idaho lawmakers move to repeal a program voters approved

Committee votes to advance repeal bill

Idaho’s House Health and Welfare Committee voted 10-6 on March 9 to introduce a bill that would end the state’s Medicaid expansion by Jan. 1, 2028.

Rep. Jordan Redman, a Republican from Coeur d’Alene, sponsors the bill. A motion by Rep. Dori Healey, a Boise Republican, to kill it failed by a single vote.

The committee debated the proposal for less than 20 minutes before moving forward.

Voters backed Medicaid expansion in 2018

Idaho voters approved Medicaid expansion through Proposition 2 in 2018, with about 61% support.

The program covers residents who earn less than 138% of the federal poverty level, which works out to roughly $22,025 a year for one person or about $45,540 for a family of four. As of February 2026, about 79,000 Idahoans were enrolled.

The program was built to close a gap for lower-income workers, and about 48% of enrollees held jobs as of 2025.

Supporters say costs grew too fast

The bill came from a recommendation by Idaho’s DOGE task force, an interim committee focused on government efficiency. Redman argued the program now costs nearly three times what voters expected when they approved it.

The state’s share of expansion costs in fiscal year 2026 sits at about $92 million in general funds.

Committee chairman Rep. John Vander Woude said lawmakers face a choice between funding expansion and funding services for people with disabilities.

Tax cuts created a budget squeeze

Idaho’s budget pressure did not come out of nowhere.

The legislature approved five rounds of income tax cuts over the past five years, cutting state revenue by a combined $4 billion according to the Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy.

Gov. Brad Little ordered 3% budget cuts for most state agencies in 2025, and the legislature’s budget committee approved additional 4% to 5% cuts for 2026.

Idaho’s constitution requires a balanced budget every year, so something has to give.

Critics say repeal costs more than it saves

House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, a Democrat, argued repeal would actually cost the state more money.

She pointed to a Department of Health and Welfare analysis showing Idaho would lose at least $20 million compared to any savings.

A separate 2023 analysis from the same department found repeal would cost $78 million more than keeping the program. The federal government covers 90% of expansion costs and puts over $1 billion into the program.

A University of Idaho economist found expansion added about $1.5 billion to the state economy and supported more than 9,300 jobs.

Republicans also pushed back on repeal

Opposition was not just from Democrats. Rep. Healey called the proposal hasty and said it would hurt people who truly need coverage.

Rep. Lori McCann, a Republican from Lewiston, said the legislature should wait to see whether 2025 reforms produce savings before going this far.

Rep. Ben Fuhriman, a Republican from Shelley, said the bill would cause more harm than the money it saves.

Fuhriman also doubted that people dropped from expansion would successfully move to private insurance through the state exchange.

Last year’s reforms have not kicked in yet

In March 2025, Gov. Little signed House Bill 345, which added work requirements and shifted Medicaid to a managed care model.

The law requires expansion enrollees without disabilities to work, study, or volunteer at least 20 hours a week. That transition is still underway, and no one has measured the results yet.

Several lawmakers who opposed the repeal bill said those reforms deserve time to show whether they cut costs.

Redman, who co-sponsored the 2025 reform bill, said he was hesitant about full repeal but considered it the best budget option.

Old safety nets no longer exist

The repeal bill does not include any plan to replace the coverage people would lose.

After expansion took effect in 2020, the legislature got rid of the county indigent health program and the state Catastrophic Health Care Fund, which helped uninsured residents pay for emergency care.

The bill’s fiscal note says people removed from expansion could get tax credits to buy private insurance on the state exchange.

But critics, including Rep. Fuhriman, said that path is unlikely to work for most of the people affected.

Governor has not promised a veto

Gov. Little has said publicly that he does not support repealing Medicaid expansion. He warned that repeal would bring unintended consequences, including the loss of safety nets the state already removed.

But Little has not committed to a veto. In January, he told reporters he does not take positions on bills until they reach his desk.

His own budget proposal called for about $22 million in Medicaid cuts but stopped short of repeal.

Earlier Medicaid cuts led to three deaths

Budget cuts already eliminated a Medicaid mental health treatment program in Idaho. Within three months, three patients died, according to the Idaho Capital Sun.

Redman pointed to the need to bring back that program and a paid family disability caregiver program as reasons the state must find savings elsewhere.

Health care advocates and some lawmakers warn that further cuts to Medicaid could create more public health and safety risks down the road.

Bill still faces several hurdles ahead

If the bill becomes law, tens of thousands of Idaho residents could lose health coverage starting Jan. 1, 2028.

Those affected are lower-income workers and families who earn too much for traditional Medicaid but not enough to easily afford private insurance.

The committee voted to hold the bill until March 11 for a possible public hearing. After that, it would need to clear the full House, pass the Senate, and avoid a governor’s veto.

In past years, Medicaid expansion repeal bills have not gotten far in the legislature.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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