MEDICAID: Blame Legislature for cuts

I am 87 years old and have lived in Idaho my entire life. Right now, I’m recovering in an assisted living facility after breaking my femur. I’ve been here for three months, and I can tell you something is changing — and not for the better.

Residents are being told costs may increase while some services are being reduced. Some people are already leaving because they can no longer afford to stay. New residents now face lengthy private-pay “spend down” requirements before qualifying for Medicaid.

Inside this facility, many people are trying to understand why this is happening. Some blame immigration. Others blame Medicare. But the real issue is much closer to home.

The Idaho Legislature reduced Medicaid reimbursement rates to facilities while also approving major tax cuts that largely benefit wealthy individuals. Medicaid helps fund long-term care for seniors across Idaho, yet facilities say reimbursement often does not cover actual care costs. Meanwhile, staffing, insurance, food, and utility expenses continue rising.

When facilities lose revenue, something has to give. Services are reduced. Medicaid patients are limited. Costs are passed on to residents. Some seniors may eventually be forced from the places they consider home.

At 87, I never imagined worrying about whether I might lose the place where I’m trying to recover.

Idaho can do better. We owe seniors dignity, stability, and compassion — not uncertainty in the final years of their lives.

KEITH PELLA

Lifelong Idaho resident,

Coeur d’Alene