Idaho Mulls Medicaid Work-Requirements | KBOI

BOISE, ID (CBS2) — Earlier this year, Medicaid work requirements were proposed in Idaho's budget by Governor Brad Little's administration, marking the second time the state has attempted to enact a work requirement since 2019.

That 2019 attempt is still awaiting a federal response, which must sign-off on work requirements.

Despite this, Little and several members of the Idaho legislature are advancing legislation that could make Medicaid's continued survival in Idaho hinge on the passage of work requirements, among other requirements.

The American Cancer Society has said that they are opposed to the changes to Idaho's Medicaid program and want to stop that work requirement from being enacted.

"Medicaid is a healthcare benefit that helps people get the healthcare they need," Randy Johnson, a representative for the American Cancer Society said. "It creates access when people need it most. What work requirement does is just add more burdensome bureaucracy and red-tape to people who are already working -- to folks that need access to care."

Johnson cited data compiled by the American Cancer Society that shows patients aged 18-62 in states with lower Medicaid eligibility requirements (meaning less people are eligible to join Medicaid) had reduced survival rates for most cancers.

The same study found that states with income eligibility limits (meaning more people can get Medicaid), had higher survival rates.

"From the American cancer society perspective, we don't see any benefit to adding any red-tape or any bureaucracy to folks' access to care," Johnson said. "This year alone, 11,120 people, Idahoans, are going to hear those words, 'you have cancer.' Anyway, we can reduce that number, or increase access to much needed screenings, that's what we want to see."

The Journal of the National Cancer Institute found in a study in 2020 that people who have disruptions to Medicaid have less screening and preventative care than patients without disruptions. It also found that those with Medicaid disruptions were more likely to have advanced stage cancers and worse survival rates.

According to a report by Politico, under the Trump administration, the federal overseeing body of Medicaid approved work requirements for 13 states. The Biden administration has since rescinded those approvals.

Georgia remains the only other state in the country with a Medicaid work requirement, which saw only 2,344 Georgians enroll since July, of an expected 31,000.

In the meantime, a new bill, H914, currently in the Health and Welfare Committee would repeal Medicaid expansion in Idaho altogether without work requirements -- among other new regulations for the program.

The Health and Welfare committee is taking public testimony tomorrow, February 1, at the capitol. The public is free to attend.

CBS2 reached out to Idaho lawmakers and Governor Brad Little's office for comment and will update this story when those comments are received.

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