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2025 Idaho Snapshot
The Healthcare Affordability Snapshot provides legislators, consumer advocates, regulators and other stakeholders a tool to compare their state’s health policies across other states. The categories examined in this resource explore a variety of policy options that have previously appeared in the Scorecard, as well as additional policies that impact health care affordability. Policies were selected […]
Read MoreIdaho Congressman introduces bill to extend STLD health plans
An Idaho Congressman has introduced legislation to extend and expand private short‑term health insurance plans, reports the Idaho Capital Sun. The bill, known as the Removing Insurance Gaps for Health Treatment (RIGHT) Act of 2025, would allow short‑term limited‑duration insurance (STLDI) plans to cover individuals for up to one year with the option to renew […]
Read MoreIdaho Children Losing Coverage at Record Rates
Roughly 50,000 Idaho children lost health insurance coverage between late 2022 and early 2025, with over 70% of the disenrollments stemming from procedural issues like missed paperwork or outdated addresses, reports the Idaho Statesman. These coverage losses raise concerns about affordability, as families might face higher out-of-pocket expenses or be forced to seek costlier care without insurance. […]
Read MoreIdaho Faces $60m Medicaid Shortfall
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is requesting an additional $60 million this fiscal year to cover rising costs in the Medicaid program, even after reducing provider payment rates, reports the Idaho Capital Sun. The state is also facing a broader budget shortfall and has ordered general-state-agency cuts, adding pressure to Medicaid funding. If the supplemental […]
Read MoreIdaho Drops GLP-1s Prescribed for Weight Loss for State Employees
The state of Idaho announced that its health insurance program for state employees, retirees and dependents will no longer cover weight-loss medications in the GLP-1 class for that purpose beginning November 1, 2025, reports Becker’s Payer Issues. Officials estimate the decision will reduce annual premiums by roughly $30 million to $50 million, citing unsustainable cost growth and […]
Read MoreIdaho Reduces Medicaid Provider Rates by 4%
Idaho will cut Medicaid reimbursement rates by 4% starting September 1 to address budget shortfalls, reports KTVB 7. State officials argue the reductions are necessary to control spending, but hospitals and providers warn the policy will reduce access, especially in rural areas. Critics say the cuts could drive some providers out of Medicaid, forcing patients to pay […]
Read MoreIdaho Reproductive Health Policy Negatively Impacts Maternal Health
Idaho’s abortion ban has contributed to the loss of more than a third of the state’s OB-GYN workforce since 2022, reports ABC News. The article uses Bonner General Health, located in Sandpoint, Idaho, as an example. The health system announced in March 2023 that it would no longer provide obstetrical care, citing the state’s “legal and political climate” as one […]
Read MoreIdaho Will No Longer Pay Parents to Care for Disabled Children
Idaho has ended a program that allowed parents to be paid caregivers for children with disabilities, reports the Idaho Statesman. The program’s cost grew from $6 million in 2022 to more than $24 million in 2024, which state officials initially linked to fraud but later attributed to higher enrollment. Families say the payments were critical for providing […]
Read MoreImmigrant Residents and Doctors Sue Idaho Over New Law
Advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit to block enforcement of Idaho’s new immigration verification law, House Bill 135, reports NILC. The law restricts access to services like prenatal care, HIV treatment, and vaccines for people unable to verify immigration status, even though those services aren’t federally restricted. Plaintiffs include Dr. Abby Davids and five immigrant […]
Read MoreIdaho to Replace Healthy Connections Program, 3-Year Gap Anticipated
A new bill that reduces the cost of Medicaid eliminates the long-standing Healthy Connections Program, reports East Idaho News. For nearly 20 years, the program has helped Medicaid patients coordinate care through a primary provider. It will be replaced by a managed care model in which private companies oversee Medicaid services. The Department of Health […]
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