BOISE, Idaho — Controversial plans on how to fund Medicaid expansion were at the center of a public hearing at the Idaho Statehouse Friday.
In November, 61 percent of Idahoans voted to pass Medicaid expansion.
Idahoans packed into the Lincoln Auditorium to weigh in on House Bill 249.
That bill would add a work requirement to qualify for the pending Medicaid expansion.
Public testimony lasted about three hours, and for the exception of one person, all the testimony was against the Medicaid sideboards bill.
About 50 people spoke to the House Health and Welfare Committee between two public testimony sessions.
The big takeaway, people are not happy about a proposed work requirement to qualify for Medicaid.
Bill Sponsor, Rep. John Vander Woude, says he wanted to mirror the states Medicaid after Idaho's food stamp program.
Under that, able-bodied Idahoans need to work 30 hours a week to receive benefits.
Implementing that requirement and others laid out in the bill would cost millions of additional dollars.
Here is what some had to say to the committee.
"Governor Little and JFAC has already got this right. The governor found a good way to fund it in the first year and JFAC has adopted that spending plan. I ask this committee to demonstrate similar fiscal responsibility."
"Medicaid people are already in struggle. They take the lowest paying jobs, often without sick leave. When they are too sick to work, they don't get paid. Why add that they lose their health care when they are too sick to work as well."
The House Health and Welfare Committee did not vote on the bill today, and says they are taking under consideration the comments made about the Medicaid sideboards.
Rep. Vander Woude couldn't say for sure what happens next.
Committee member, Democrat Muffy Davis says her party is clear in believing that Medicaid expansion should be enacted cleanly without sideboards.
"The governor has instructed us to get an Idaho solution and it may look a little bit different but I believe we have to do it fiscally responsible, but we also have to do it medically responsible so that the people are getting the care they need, and I believe that is the balancing act that we are trying to create at this point. What exactly that is going to look like, your guess may be as good as mine," said Vander Woude.
"That's just not what the people want and I believe we are elected, and the Democrats believe we are elected, to represent the will of the people and we want to see that will enacted," said Rep. Davis.
No vote was taken in committee Friday. It will likely be brought up early next week. It's unclear though if and how many changes could be made to it.
There are a lot of options, the bill could be amended, or new legislation may even be drafted.
The committee wants Idahoans to know though that they are being heard, and their comments are being considered.