Idaho House panel revives health care proposal

An Idaho House panel has revived a previously spiked health care proposal designed to provide coverage to low-income Idahoans.

The House Health and Welfare Committee on Monday agreed to send HB 464 – which is backed by Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter – once again to the House floor for consideration.

The committee had already sent that same bill to the House floor earlier this year.

However, the House never voted on the merits of the bill. Instead, representatives voted to send the bill back to the panel rather than publicly state how they stood on the proposal.

About 78,000 working Idahoans are believed to be in the gap population that earns too much to qualify for Medicaid, but too little to qualify for insurance subsidies.

Otter’s bill would provide coverage to roughly half of the health coverage gap population.