No headline

We are the WWAMI medical students of the University of Idaho. We represent communities from Post Falls to Pocatello, Salmon to Sandpoint, and we come from proud Idaho families going back five generations, representing a wide range of political views.

As future doctors that will practice in this state, 98 percent of us are voting yes on Proposition 2.

Idaho has a crisis of healthcare access. Some 62,000 Idahoans, including more than 1,000 in Bonner County, have no way to reasonably afford healthcare.

Proposition 2 provides hope for Idaho’s uninsured. It extends Medicaid coverage to citizens earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level by returning federal tax dollars that are already set aside for Idaho.

Some say Prop 2 is a handout; we know from experience that it is a leg up. Take the example of a patient we encountered who suffered from heart failure. After losing his job, and the insurance policy that went with it, he qualified for Medicaid and received the care he needed to get back on his feet. However, he learned that returning to work would mean losing his coverage.

Prop 2 provides a bridge for patients to continue managing their chronic, life-threatening conditions, while once again becoming productive members of society.

Prop 2 will enable us to be better stewards of our communities by ensuring that all Idahoans have access to affordable care, no matter their income. On November 6, please join us in voting yes on Proposition 2 to expand Medicaid in Idaho.

GARRETT STRIZICH

Sandpoint

and WWAMI medical students

University of Idaho