Idaho’s House reject another health care proposal

Idaho’s House has killed a last chance effort to provide family planning services to low-income women as the Republican-dominant Statehouse prepares to adjourn.

House members rejected the motion to debate the legislation on Thursday. The move came just a day after the same chamber halted a separate health care proposal designed to address the state’s uninsured population.

House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding of Boise, who made the motion, says lawmakers should not sidestep debating health care policy before adjourning for the year.

According to Erpelding’s measure, Idaho would have pursued a federal permission – known as a waiver – to expand family planning services to women ages 19-44 who currently do not qualify for Medicare, Medicaid or other health care assistance programs.

The so-called Plan First Idaho was expected to apply to 15,000 women.