Idaho governor Butch Otter announced that he is not considering calling a special legislative session to address the insurance gap apparent in the state. This is despite his disappointment at the lack of action over closing the so-called insurance gap during the recently concluded legislative session.
The state’s legislative session ended March 25, with efforts to extend health coverage to those who cannot qualify for either Medicaid or ACA subsidies reaching an impasse, according to a Boise State Public Radio report.
Otter expressed his discontent when nothing was done about the insurance gap issue as the session ended but remarked that he did not totally agree with the claim that Idahoans in the gap are dying as a result.
“I see plenty of people that die every day in hospitals and they have insurance,” the governor said. “And they’re in the hospital. But they still die.”
The governor stated that those without insurance still have healthcare options available to them, such as the Terry Reilly clinics.
Speaker of the House Scott Bedke reaffirmed that the House intends to do something about the gap, but he underlined that it would take time.
“I think we need to count it as great progress that, from an issue that we weren’t talking about and said that we were not going to take up, that we have in a very meaningful way,” Bedke stated. “And I believe that on this foundation we can build a solution that will work.”
