Idaho’s Republican Gov. Butch Otter on Tuesday endorsed a ballot initiative that would expand Medicaid eligibility to thousands of people.
“Proposition 2 is an Idaho-grown solution,” Otter said in a newly released ad by Idahoans for Healthcare, a group pushing for Medicaid expansion. "Vote yes on Proposition 2. It’s the right thing for Idaho."
The measure's supporters say it would provide coverage for up to 62,000 Idahoans who now fall into a coverage gap, making too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to qualify for subsidized health insurance through the state insurance exchange.
If the state were to vote to expand Medicaid coverage next week, the federal government would pay 90 percent of the cost. Idaho is one of 17 states that have yet to expand coverage under ObamaCare using federal money.
