Clinicians in rural Idaho brace for Medicaid cuts that 'are already creating hurdles'

Pregnant women in Idaho often drive hours for
prenatal care. (Adobe Stock photo)

New rules for Medicaid have Idaho clinicians predicting more emergency visits, fewer residents with health care coverage and more maternity care deserts, reports Madeline de Figueiredo for The Daily Yonder. The systemic Medicaid changes will be the hardest on rural residents who tend to be more reliant on Medicaid.

Many Idaho medical providers see new Medicaid work requirements, income checks and possible co-payments as "changes [that] are already creating hurdles and could lead to major coverage losses and reduced access to care," according to the article. 

Coverage losses often increase emergency room visits because people delay care until their symptoms are so severe that they have no choice but to go to the emergency room. Individuals can be left with costly ED bills for care that could have been affordable if it had been sought sooner.

Idaho is already facing rural hospital closures and provider shortages, both of which impact prenatal care for expecting mothers and their babies. Figueiredo reports, "Bonner General Health, the only hospital with OB-GYNs in Bonner County, closed its obstetrics services in 2023. . . . All four OB-GYNs from Bonner County told NBC that Idaho’s strict abortion laws influenced their decision to leave."

The lack of obstetric care throughout the state means pregnant women often have to travel hours for care. Many are told to purchase insurance for emergency medical flights. Amy Klingler, a primary care physician assistant in Stanley, Idaho, told Figueiredo, “We encourage everyone, really, in our community to have that [coverage]. . . . Helicopter rides are probably anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000."