Otter hires Utah firm to study Medicaid expansion

BOISE (AP) — Gov. C. L. "Butch" Otter has hired a consulting firm run by former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt to help decide whether to expand Medicaid to thousands of low-income Idahoans.

The Idaho Statesman reports (http://bit.ly/MrztnQ ) the governor's office hired Leavitt Partners in May. The contract is valued at $99,000 and report due in September.

The contract asks Leavitt Partners to study expansion of the state's Medicaid as part of compliance with the federal health care overhaul.

Otter has not made a policy decision on how to respond to the Affordable Care Act, and earlier this month appointed working groups to study the question of developing a state insurance exchange and Medicaid.

A Medicaid expansion could add up to 80,000 new people to the program by broadening eligibility rules.