BOISE — House Majority Leader Megan Blanksma, R-Hammett, is proposing extending Medicaid coverage for women after they give birth and expanding coverage under the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
The legislation was presented Friday morning to the House Health and Welfare Committee by lobbyist Brody Aston. The committee voted to introduce it, with all but Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa voting in favor.
The bill would extend coverage under Medicaid for eligible women from two months after they give birth to 12 months. However, if federal matching funds were to be significantly reduced, the legislation directs the House and Senate Health and Welfare committees to reevaluate this extended coverage and make a recommendation about whether it should stay in effect.
It also would increase the eligibility of the state Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, to children whose families’ income is up to 255% of federal poverty guidelines; this is up from current eligibility of up to 185% of poverty guidelines. CHIP is a low-cost health insurance program for children younger than 19 whose families make too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid and don’t have private insurance.
The bill would raise the eligibility for pregnant women whose family income is up to 205% of federal poverty guidelines, up from where it stands at 133% of poverty guidelines.
“This brings us closer to the national average and in line with states like Texas and Florida,” Aston told the committee.
The bill would direct the Department of Health and Welfare to apply for federal waivers to implement these changes and to maximize the federal matches to fund them.
The committee voted to introduce the bill with no discussion.
Guido covers Idaho politics for the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News and Idaho Press of Nampa. She may be contacted at lguido@idahopress.com and can be found on Twitter @EyeOnBoiseGuido.
