BOISE, Idaho — Idaho lawmakers are expected to review Medicaid expansion during the 2026 legislative session, prompting questions from Idahoans who receive coverage through the program.
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Boise resident Amanda Moynihan is a mother of three and a full-time college student who enrolled her family in Medicaid in 2022. Moynihan said financial considerations led her to apply for coverage after returning to school.
“I finally decided to go back to school in the spring of 2022,” she said. “I was sitting with the predicament of, can I pay this bill or that bill — and what can I do?”
WATCH: Boise mother discusses her Medicaid coverage as legislators consider possible changes
Moynihan said coverage for her children includes dental and preventative services, and that Medicaid allowed her to seek medical care she had previously gone without. “I hadn't been to the doctors for myself for quite some time… I just kind of thought, well, I don't have the coverage, I’m just not going to,” she said.
Medicaid expansion currently covers more than 90,000 Idahoans, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Moynihan said she applied after learning her family qualified while she was enrolled in college. “I thought I could just do it independently… but it’s made a huge difference in my children’s life and my life,” she said.
RELATED: Idaho lawmakers weigh future of Medicaid expansion and its budget impact as session nears
Lawmakers have said the program’s costs and eligibility requirements may be reviewed as part of this year’s budget process. Legislative committee chairs have stated that no formal proposal has been finalized.
Gov. Brad Little told Idaho News 6 that he does not intend to seek a repeal of Medicaid expansion but noted its impact on state spending. “Medicaid, you know, as I stated, repealing expansion is not at all at the top of my list…. But Medicaid, because it's the fastest, we wouldn't even have a deficit if it wasn't for what's taking place in Medicaid,” Little said.
Moynihan said she has questions about how any changes could affect families receiving benefits. “Are there going to be major cuts for families?… What is this going to look like?” she said.
She also said her sister-in-law receives Medicaid coverage for neurological care related to chronic migraines. “She’s reliant on Medicaid itself to be able to see a neurologist, get proper medication,” Moynihan said.
Some lawmakers have said one possible aim of reviewing Medicaid expansion is to transition able-bodied adults off the program and reduce long-term state spending. Moynihan said she intends to leave the program when she graduates. “I don’t hope to be on these. This is just a stepping stool to provide a better life for my kids,” she said.
The Idaho Legislature is expected to continue discussing Medicaid-related proposals over the course of the session.
