The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says the estimated number of Idahoans who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but too little to qualify for insurance subsidies has dropped slightly.
A 2014 study showed that 78,000 Idahoans were in the so-called Medicaid gap. However, the state's health and welfare agency now says the number ranges between 51,000 and 62,000 low-income individuals.
Niki Forbing-Orr, spokeswoman for the agency, said Monday the updated number is based on data from food stamp recipients -- which has seen a drop in participants since 2014.
Idaho could resolve this gap population by expanding Medicaid eligibility, as allowed under the Affordable Care Act, but Idaho's Republican-dominant Legislature has repeatedly rejected such efforts for nearly six years.
