House committee advances Medicaid reform bill after hours of testimony; sponsors say waivers will preserve expansion

Representative Jordan Redmond, R‑Kootenai County, introduced House Bill 138 to the House Health and Welfare Committee, saying the measure is meant to “put Medicaid back on track, protect taxpayers, and make sure people who need it most get the care that they deserve.” The committee heard more than 30 witnesses and spent several hours questioning the sponsor and other members before sending the bill to the House floor with a due‑pass recommendation on a party‑line, 8–7 roll‑call vote.

Redmond said the bill does not repeal Medicaid expansion and instead seeks a package of federal waivers and other changes to reduce what he described as “waste” in the program. He told the committee he wants limits and “sideboards” for the expansion population, including an enrollment cap “the lower of 50,000 or the aggregate number of elderly and disabled enrollees,” a 36‑month time limit for able‑bodied adults, and work or community‑engagement requirements of roughly 20 hours per week administered by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

The bill would direct the department to apply for a suite of federal waivers (discussed in testimony as both "1115" and "1332/1332‑style" waivers). Redmond said the fiscal note includes $3 million from the Medicaid Budget Stabilization Fund for one‑time implementation and waiver application costs and estimated about $2 million…