BOISE, Idaho — A refined bill aimed at Medicaid reform in Idaho was introduced in the Statehouse on Friday, with hopes of protecting healthcare access.
David Lehman, a lobbyist for several health care organizations, explained what the bill proposes.
“What this plan proposes to do is create a comprehensive Medicaid management system,” Lehman said.
Draft legislation RS 32575 takes the place of House Bill 328.
This legislation would engage the community, providers, and participants in designing waivers with legislative oversight.
The comprehensive Medicaid management system has both potential positives and drawbacks.
Lehman said one of the key benefits could be the creation of a system for care coordination.
“Really, there’s no way to coordinate care across those different services, so potentially one of the benefits of this could be to have better care coordination for Medicaid beneficiaries in the long run,” he said.
However, some potential drawbacks of the legislation include decreases in provider reimbursement rates, which could create problems with access, leading to people possibly not receiving services.
This draft legislation can’t be found online just yet. On Monday, the draft is expected to achieve official bill status. Stay with us as we continue our coverage at the Statehouse.
