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Sixty-two thousand of our fellow Idahoans do not have access to insured health care because they fall in the “heath care gap.” These are hard-working adults who do not have employer-provided plans. They work in food service, farming, forestry, construction and office work. According to the health care rules, they make too much money to qualify for Medicaid and not enough to qualify for insurance on the Your Health Idaho Exchange (Obamacare). Thirty-three states have closed this coverage gap by using an existing program and expanding Medicaid to the uninsured. Idaho can close the gap on Nov. 6 by supporting Proposition 2 at the polls.

For the uninsured, expanding Medicaid saves lives, avoids pain and suffering, and eliminates the fear of incurring unaffordable medical bills. Expansion is 90 percent paid for with already-set-aside federal tax dollars. All Idaho has to do is agree to accept the money that we have already paid with our federal tax dollars.

The Healthy Idaho Plan will actually save money for the state and expand our state’s economy. Idaho’s contribution to expanding Medicaid will be significantly less money than the state and Idaho counties currently spend supporting people without health insurance who are saddled with catastrophic medical bills. These uninsured often delay or avoid primary preventative care due to costs. They eventually are cared for in emergency rooms and hospitals at much higher costs. Expansion will not only make us healthier, avoid insurmountable family medical costs but, expand our economy by creating 5,000 new well-paying health care jobs in Idaho.

GARY SUPPIGER

Cocolalla