\u201cWe worked extremely hard last year\u201d on the bill to adjust how the state administers Medicaid expansion, and \u201cwe haven\u2019t even had the time to see if that is even going to be implemented or how it\u2019s going to be implemented,\u201d Rep. Lori McCann, R-Lewiston, told fellow committee members. \u201cI think that we are putting the cart ahead of the horse.\u201d<\/p>\n
Repealing the entire expansion program would \u201crip the rug out\u201d from under thousands of Idahoans who need care, she added.<\/p>\n
Rep. Jordan Redman, who sponsored the proposal to repeal Medicaid expansion, was also a co-sponsor of the 2025 bill<\/a>. In committee Monday, the Coeur d\u2019Alene Republican said he was hesitant to propose a full repeal this year, given the many program reforms that have yet to fully take effect, but considered it the best move for the state\u2019s overall budget.<\/p>\n AJ McWhorter, a spokesperson for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, which oversees Medicaid expansion, did not immediately respond to a question about how much the state has spent so far on implementing the 2025 law. Sen. Julie VanOrden, a Pingree Republican who co-sponsored that bill, said she didn\u2019t know how much the state had spent.<\/p>\n During a conversation with reporters in January, Little said he would not support repealing<\/a> Medicaid expansion, though he stopped short of saying he would veto a proposal.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t commit on bills until I see them on my desk,\u201d he said. But he warned that there would be \u201call kinds of unintended consequences\u201d of repealing Medicaid expansion.<\/p>\n Enacted by a ballot initiative in 2018, Medicaid expansion subsidizes health care for about 90,000 Idahoans who work and earn too much to qualify for standard Medicaid, but don\u2019t earn enough for private insurance discounts under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.<\/p>\n Those seeking a program repeal or reform in recent years have cited the program\u2019s skyrocketing cost. The federal government pays 90% of the costs of Idaho\u2019s Medicaid expansion, but amid rising health care costs, Idaho\u2019s share of the burden has significantly exceeded lawmakers\u2019 expectations: from $32 million in projected costs in 2018 to $110 million in fiscal year 2026, Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa said on the House floor in 2025.<\/p>\n During recent debates over repeal, lawmakers shared anecdotes suggesting that people were taking advantage of the system<\/a>, avoiding working full-time jobs so that they wouldn\u2019t lose their Medicaid benefits.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that oftentimes, this can actually hold people back from their full potential,\u201d Redman said.<\/p>\n Randy Johnson, the government relations director of the American Cancer Society\u2019s Cancer Action Network, told the Idaho Statesman he hasn\u2019t seen data to support the claim that such misuse of the program is widespread.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s a talking point,\u201d he said in an interview after Monday\u2019s hearing. \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing is a whole population of people who are working. They\u2019re working hard, they\u2019re making money, but they still can\u2019t afford their health care.\u201d<\/p>\n Rep. Dori Healey, R-Boise, said she had heard employers\u2019 concerns that some of their employees wanted to work fewer hours to maintain their Medicaid expansion benefits, but argued that the issue could be addressed without repealing the entire program \u2014 a move she called \u201cextremely hasty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThose are the issues we need to address, not just ripping this out, these benefits out, from people that truly need them,\u201d said Healey, a nurse. \u201cI think that that is absolutely ferocious and uncalled-for.\u201d<\/p>\n Redman argued that state money spent on Medicaid expansion came at the expense of programs for more vulnerable groups in the state, including children and people with disabilities. He did not address the role of hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue cuts, including tax cuts, the state had made in recent years. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have blamed those cuts for budget shortages this year.<\/p>\n Johnson, of the American Cancer Society, pushed back on arguments that repealing the program would save the state money. Subsidizing health care plans allows people to access early screenings and preventative health care. Without insurance, \u201cthey just aren\u2019t going to go to the doctor\u201d until there\u2019s an emergency, he said.<\/p>\n Then, they\u2019ll go to the emergency room, which the state will have to pay for, he said. By that point, their health may be in crisis \u2014 and their care more expensive.<\/p>\n Supporters of Medicaid expansion have pointed to its widespread popularity: It passed during the ballot initiative process with over 60% of the vote. But on Monday, Redman argued that voters hadn\u2019t understood the cost of what they were supporting.<\/p>\n \u201cThe vote of the people, I don\u2019t believe they had all the accurate information to know what it was really going to do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The committee voted 10-6 to introduce the bill for a full hearing.<\/p>\n This story was originally published March 9, 2026 at 12:45 PM.<\/p>\n Sarah Cutler<\/a><\/p>\n Idaho Statesman<\/p>\n Sarah covers the legislative session and state government with an interest in political polarization, government accountability and the intersection of religion and politics. Please reach out with feedback, tips or ideas. If you like seeing stories like hers, please consider supporting her work with a digital subscription.![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BOI_0205medicaidjohn.jpeg\" "\\"BOI_0205medicaidjohn\\"")
John Barnes, a Boise resident, told the Statesman in 2025 that he would no longer be able to afford medications and doctor visits if Idaho drops Medicaid expansion. Darin Oswald Idaho Statesman Some lawmakers fear \u2018ripping out\u2019 needed health benefits<\/p>\n![\"Rep.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BOI_031902RepRedman.jpeg\" "\\"BOI_031902RepRedman\\"")
Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d\u2019Alene, at the Capitol in 2025. Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com <\/p>\n
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