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I was discussing car repairs with a younger friend, a caring person who works with struggling children. She told me that she had a health crisis not covered by insurance, and has spent the last few years paying those health care bills off. She was justifiably proud that she could handle her car repairs financially. She also shared that she wouldn’t go to the doctor if the problem occurred again, but would “get through it” to avoid more expensive bills.

I’ve met so many people in Sandpoint who work hard, often at more than one job, yet a medical crisis as simple as a broken arm would be a financial disaster. About half of bankruptcies in Idaho are related to catastrophic medical bills. Idaho has 78,000 Idahoans who are in the “Medicaid gap,” earning too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but unable to afford insurance on the state healthcare exchange. Medicaid expansion in Idaho would extend healthcare to those people, and add about $46 million a year and 14,000 new jobs in Idaho. It’s a win-win for our citizens and our state.

We can bring Idaho tax dollars already paying for Medicaid expansion in other states back to Idaho, keep 78,000 people from losing hope because of medical bills, and bring jobs and revenue back to Idaho. To add Medicaid expansion to the ballot in November, please sign the Medicaid Expansion petition, available at Women’s Healthcare, 1215 Michigan Street, Suite C, or Panhandle Art Glass, 514 Pine Street.

SUSAN MOON

Sandpoint