Issue Position: Addressing Medicaid Expansion

Issue Position

President Ronald Reagan once said the best way to measure the success of a government program is to count the number of people who no longer needed it. Sadly, the lack of high-wage job options, rising healthcare costs, and irresponsible federal management make it just the opposite story in Idaho. A growing number of our fellow citizens now rely upon government programs just to make ends meet, including Medicaid. They would rather have good-paying jobs that allow them to provide for their families and enjoy the benefits of employment. I would rather they have greater access to more affordable, high-quality healthcare and healthcare insurance.

As a former State Senator with a solid record of empowering citizens, I know our great state must deal with competing demands on a limited budget. And yet, the federal government proposes to expand Medicaid, acting as if the status quo of borrowing more than 40 cents on every dollar spent is sustainable. It is not. I will not stand by as the federal government continues to obligate state taxpayers to do more with borrowed federal money. When elected to Congress, I will not allow our state to be put under more financial stress from irresponsible federal budgets coming out of Washington, D.C.

When it comes to Medicaid expansion, Idaho must find a way to be in control to ensure the vulnerable in our state get the sense of ownership and obligation that comes with personal responsibility. They must be incentivized to exercise better healthcare options tied to specific outcome goals. At the end of the day, if we give people better job options, lower healthcare costs, and provide more choice and competition in health insurance, these programs become unnecessary.

We must reform Medicaid, integrating innovations, technology, incentives, and responsibility to control costs and improve health outcomes. We owe it to the taxpayers of Idaho to move people from Medicaid to full independence. In the meantime, we have to get a better return on investment for every dollar spent.

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