BOISE, Idaho — Ninety-thousand Idahoans now have access to Medicaid for the first time. After a majority of people went out to the polls last year and voted 'yes' for Medicaid expansion, open enrollment officially started on Friday.
“So, Medicaid expansion covers adults in Idaho 0-138 percent of poverty,” Deputy Director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Lori Wolff said. “As long as the individuals are citizens or legal residents, they're not currently on Medicare and they're under the age of 64, they are eligible for Medicaid.”
Wolff told KTVB there are several ways people can apply to see if they’re covered under Medicaid expansion.
“Several places you can go to fill out a Medicaid application,” she said. “You can go into a local office and fill one out and meet with someone there, you can call our offices, or apply online.”
Another important thing for people to know is that the Idaho Legislature added on a few things to Medicaid expansion.
All four of them are different from the normal Medicaid rules, so Idaho has to apply for them to the federal government.
Those four things are giving people an option to stay on the state exchange if they want to, filling out paperwork proving they're working, needing a referral for family planning, and getting coverage in a mental health hospital.
"We will be implementing Medicaid expansion without these waivers in place,” Wolff said. “We don't see any possible path to getting those approved beforehand."
If the waivers are approved, the clock will start ticking for when they take effect.
“We would require six months from the time of approval to the time of implementation,” Wolff said.
Income requirements vary depending on the size of the household, for a full list to see if you qualify, click here.