Expanding Medicaid won't benefit Idaho

In the March 23 Daily Bee, there was an Associated Press article that stated in part, “Expanding Medicaid to cover more low income Idaho residents could save state and local taxpayers tens of millions over the next decade, according to a state-financed report released this week …”

I have not seen that report but it is totally at odds with a comprehensive study on eligibility and cost of expanding Medicaid, both nationally and state-by-state conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Urban Institute (www.KFF.org/medicaid/upload/8384.pdf).

This study makes clear that Idaho’s cost of expanding Medicaid will not go down; indeed, costs to our state will accelerate rapidly after the intial three-year federal funding expires.

In an excellent graphic display of this data, Heritage Foundation has prepared charts showing the costs of expanding Medicaid in some states to be very high while reducing costs to states with already existing liberal welfare programs (www.heritage.org/multimedia/infographic/2013/03/medicaid-expansion/idaho). This site makes it easy to see why some states are eager to “expand” — federal dollars will relieve their heavy state tax burden. Idaho will definitely not enjoy tax reductions resulting from expanding Medicaid.

LARRY WELCH

Sandpoint