House committee advances bill to change Medicaid expansion; sponsor says waivers will preserve coverage

House Health and Welfare Committee on Feb. 12 moved House Bill 138 to the full House with a do-pass recommendation after lengthy testimony from health providers, advocates and the bill’s sponsor, Representative Jordan Redmond.

Representative Jordan Redmond, sponsor of HB 138, told the committee the bill is intended to preserve Medicaid expansion while imposing caps, work or community-engagement requirements and other "safeguards" that he said would reduce improper payments and long-term cost growth. "This bill is taking Medicaid expansion, putting accountability measures in place, and cutting waste to make sure that the state is being the best stewards as we can be for taxpayer funds," Redmond said.

Why it matters: Committee members and public witnesses framed the debate around cost, access and the practicality of getting federal waivers. Supporters of the bill argued Idaho must rein in what they called unsustainable enrollment and spending growth; opponents, including physicians, hospital representatives and patient advocates, said the proposal would undo coverage for many Idahoans, harm rural hospitals and increase downstream costs.

Key facts and committee action - The committee ultimately voted to send HB 138 to the full House with a "do pass" recommendation on a roll-call vote of 8–7. That vote followed an earlier, failed committee motion to hold the bill in committee (7–8). The final motion and vote…