A third patient has died in Idaho following the state’s reduction of Medicaid-funded mental health services, according to local health care providers. The patient, a man in his 40s with severe mental illness, lived in the Boise area and lost access to key support after the state cut portions of the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program. This marks the third death reported by providers within less than three months since the cuts were implemented, compared to only one death in the previous year and a half under the program.
Laura Scuri, who co-owns Access Behavioral Health Services in Boise and leads the area’s ACT team, said while an official cause of death has not yet been released, she believes the loss of services played a role and described the death as preventable. The ACT program was designed to offer mobile, specialized support for people with serious mental health conditions, helping them manage daily needs and remain stable on their treatment plans. Scuri expressed concern that more such incidents could follow if the cuts are not reversed.
Since the cuts, demand has increased at crisis centers in eastern Idaho, and providers report that peer support services, which help patients navigate mental health care, have also been reduced or eliminated. Health care professionals and the Idaho Sheriffs’ Association had previously warned that reducing these services could threaten public safety and lead to higher costs in other areas, such as emergency care or law enforcement…