BOISE, Idaho — Behavioral health care leaders in Idaho say they’re now seeing what they describe as devastating real-world impacts from recent Medicaid cuts.
Health care leaders and providers at Access Behavioral Health work daily with high-risk adults. They say the changes are already creating a growing public health risk — just weeks after taking effect.
WATCH | Behavioral health leaders say Medicaid cuts are already threatening public safety—
“[It’s] cruel, inhumane and really devastating,” said Debra Kempker, a behavioral health support specialist.
Kempker says she is a success story of the very mental health programs that are now unavailable to many Idahoans on Medicaid. Today, she works with adults who are living with or at risk of severe mental illness.
“I can spot the signs very easily,” Kempker said.
But she says her job has changed significantly as access to care has narrowed.
Starting this month, providers say United Behavioral Health cut Medicaid reimbursement rates by 20%. That reduction comes on top of several mental and behavioral health services that were removed from Medicaid coverage by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare in December.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Providers warn of public safety threat as Idaho slashes Behavioral Health funding
Providers warn that the cuts are already affecting community safety.
“And there will be community risks — risks of altercations or individuals losing control of their behavior,” said Laura Scuri, who runs Access Behavioral Health in Boise. “It’s one of our biggest concerns. We’ve already had that statewide — we’ve already had a death.”
That death has now been filed as part of declarations in lawsuits behavioral health leaders have brought against the state, challenging the funding cuts.
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In December, the Idaho Sheriffs’ Association also warned state leaders about the discontinuation of programs that provided stabilizing medications and one-on-one peer support for adults with serious mental illness.
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Now, providers say they are seeing patients who lost access to care and medication end up in emergency rooms, jail, or the state hospital. They say they are working closely with law enforcement partners — including Boise Police and the Ada County Sheriff’s Office — to help locate patients they have not heard from since the cuts went into effect.
“Personally, I’ve seen quite a bit of a rise in hospitalizations already; it didn’t take long,” Kempker said. "People are starting to self-medicate, whether that's self-harm or whether that's putting you know, [someone] within the community at risk."
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Health care leaders warn that the long-term consequences extend beyond public safety. They say shifting from preventive care to emergency response ultimately places the financial burden on the state and local homeowners.
“As we cost-shift to hospitals... and to jails, police, and sheriffs, their budgets have to go up,” Scuri said. “Those costs come straight out of property taxes.”
Providers say they are now hoping to work with lawmakers during the upcoming legislative session to restore the services that were cut.
For those experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available by calling or texting 988.
