OPINION: Your Medicaid story matters

There is one thing that unites us across the political aisle: We want our loved ones to live with health, dignity and security. Seniors deserve comfort in their final years. Parents deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing they can take a sick child to the doctor. Families deserve the assurance that when health challenges come they will not face them alone.

The infrastructure that supports this uniting belief for many families is cracking. 

Today, more than 250,000 Idahoans rely on Medicaid for their most basic medical needs: mental health visits, children’s checkups, hospital stays, nursing care, hospice and home health. 

Already operating on razor-thin margins, these providers are facing deeper cuts. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is cutting provider reimbursement rates by 4% across nearly every area of care. The tough truth is that many small businesses taking Medicaid will need to stop seeing these patients or close their doors altogether. 

When Medicaid is weakened, dignity is what disappears first. Seniors may be uprooted from assisted living facilities where they have built relationships and routines. Families may delay care until a problem becomes so urgent that the emergency room is their only choice. And when that happens, the costs — financial, emotional, and human — ripple out across the entire community.

The math tells the story. A home health visit costs Medicaid about $125. Hospice care averages $200 a day. A day in the hospital, by contrast, is around $3,000. Cuts that drive people out of preventive or long-term care do not save money. They shift costs, piling them onto hospitals, taxpayers, and families already stretched thin.

Idaho’s seniors are especially vulnerable. Many enter retirement with savings but eventually deplete them after years of paying for care. When the money runs out, Medicaid is what steps in. Without it, these seniors — our teachers, veterans, small-business owners and neighbors — are left without options. Facilities that can no longer afford to accept Medicaid patients may turn them away. Some already have. The fear of being uprooted late in life can cause despair, depression and even physical decline. No one should face their final years with that kind of uncertainty.

This is not just about budget numbers. It is about values. Do we believe every Idahoan deserves the dignity of a healthy life and compassionate care? Or do we allow budget cuts and tax breaks to come at the expense of our most vulnerable neighbors? Budgets reflect priorities. And right now, Idaho’s priorities are shifting away from the very people who need help the most.

When discussing budget cuts and public policy, we need to remember that these changes impact real people. We can’t go back in time and change the Idaho Legislature’s poor budgeting choices. We can’t unwind the ugly impacts of the Big Beautiful Bill. But we can elevate your voices. 

If you are being impacted by the cuts to Medicaid, will you reach out so we can tell your story? Especially ahead of the 2026 midterms, our legislators need to know how their decisions are impacting real constituents across Kootenai County. 

If you have a story you are willing to share, please email [email protected]. I’m looking forward to hearing from you. 

Health care is not about politics; it is about people. Protecting Medicaid means protecting the dignity of seniors, the security of families and the future of our children. We deserve to live healthy lives. We deserve access to care. Most of all, we deserve dignity.

• • •

Sarah Martin is chairman of the Kootenai County Democrats.