Since Idaho voters chose to open up Medicaid eligibility to more people in 2018, the expanded program has faced scrutiny over its cost versus cost-savings. Some of this debate may be renewed with new lawmakers voted in during this year’s election preparing to gather for the 2025 legislative session.
There are now around 100,000 Idahoans who have health coverage under Medicaid expansion — including Pocatello Resident Patrick Murillo, a prostate cancer survivor and member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe, and Boise resident John Barnes, who uses the coverage to access services related to substance abuse disorder recovery.
These residents are featured in a short film “Idaho Supports Medicaid: In Our Words,” which was created by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and Voices for Children. The film is set to premiere in Boise at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Treefort Music Hall.
“Medicaid is a really good program, and sometimes, you get too deep in all the more politicized language around it, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s really at stake,” said Meredith Wheeler, senior campaigns manager on state and local Medicaid Campaigns with ACS CAN.