VOTE: For these fiscal conservatives

When Idaho’s fiscally conservative legislature decided not to expand Medicaid it cost us a lot of money. Groups such as Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimate the economic cost to Idaho by NOT expanding Medicaid will be $1 billion to $3 billion over 10 years.

When someone gets medical care and can’t pay for it, the bill doesn’t just go away. It is passed on to the rest of us either through cost shifting (higher bills for those of us with insurance), or through higher taxes to fund our state indigent program.

If a person qualifies for Idaho’s indigent program, the county pays the first $11,000 and the state pays what is over that amount. The total for one year is about $55 million.

The state money is from the taxes paid by us all and the county portion comes from our property taxes. You and I are paying these bills. If Medicaid were expanded, nearly all of these people would be enrolled and Idaho would save that $55 million annually.

Expanding Medicaid would cost very little since the federal government would pay 90 percent. Idahoans are paying this presently, but we are getting nothing in return. It is estimated that Idaho will pay $1.24 billion in federal income tax over the next 10 years that will go toward Medicaid expansion in other states, but not Idaho.

By all estimates, expanding Medicaid will be a huge savings for Idahoans. This is something our current Legislature doesn’t seem to understand.

There are some people who do understand the math and are ready to do something about it. They are the true fiscal conservatives. Anne Nesse and Cheryl Stransky are running for State Legislature and are on record supporting Medicaid expansion.

STEVE MOSS

Coeur d’Alene