BOISE, Idaho – Idaho joined two other states on Election Day in expanding Medicaid to low-income residents.

Proposition 2 passed by a wide margin, garnering 60 percent of the vote on Tuesday.

It will potentially cover 62,000 Idahoans who fall into the Medicaid gap – those who make too much to qualify for the program but not enough to afford insurance.

The state Legislature has voted down attempts to expand the program over the past six years.

Lauren Necochea, director of Idaho Voices for Children and with the group Close the Gap Idaho, maintains voters connected with stories from people who fell into this health coverage chasm.

"Many Idahoans in the gap courageously shared their personal health care stories so that people could understand what was at stake,” she states. “Hard working Idahoans are falling into this gap because we have a health care policy that doesn't make any sense, and Medicaid expansion fixes that gap."

Proposition 2 received support from Gov. Butch Otter a week before the election. State lawmakers have until Dec. 6 to allocate funding for the measure.

Utah and Nebraska also voted to expand Medicaid. According to estimates from government agencies and state advocacy groups, expansion in the three states will provide access to coverage to about 300,000 people.

Brian Whitlock, president of the Idaho Hospital Association, says Proposition 2's passage will provide a boost for hospitals.

He says of the 27 critical access hospitals in rural communities, 19 are losing money on the patients they see and that covering more Idahoans will help these hospitals keep their lights on.

"If we can see a reduction in the number of uninsured patients that come through our doors, if there is some reimbursement for that critical care that these rural hospitals are able to provide, that will be a significant savings to them on their bottom line," he states.

Whitlock says this is a significant victory in red state Idaho and he hopes the state Legislature will act quickly to put this measure in place.

"Idaho is one of the most Republican states in the nation, and yet the people of this state passed Medicaid expansion, and I think it's incumbent on them to look at the straightforward message that was delivered and move forward on implementing this in a very straightforward fashion as well," he stresses.


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After more than 50 years of use, some Michigan lawmakers say naloxone may not be the best choice in an overdose situation.

Naloxone is sometimes called the "Lazarus drug" because of its powerful ability to seemingly resurrect people after a drug overdose.

Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, and some of his colleagues have introduced a bill which would open the door for what they say are more costly, but more powerful, antidotes.

"Given the prevalence of fentanyl in our communities, and how much stronger some of these drugs that we're now seeing are, we believe -- and in talking with others -- that there should be other tools to respond to an overdose," Hertel explained. "To make sure we're doing everything we can to save somebody's life."

Not everyone is on board with the proposed legislation, Senate Bill 542. Opponents argued the more expensive naloxone alternatives are not necessary, and using them would only increase profits for the pharmaceutical industry.

Jonathan Stoltman, director of the Opioid Policy Institute in Grand Rapids, said while the naloxone alternatives do help in overdose situations, they can also cause nasty side effects.

"The newer approaches, they put people into more severe withdrawal," Stoltman pointed out. "That's a pretty profound negative side effect. The one approach is very inexpensive and works great; the other approach is far more expensive and has this strong negative side effect."

Sponsors of the bill say they're hoping to give Michigan residents a chance to chime in on the issue in a public hearing sometime in June. Michigan saw more than 3,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2021.


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New Mexico saw record enrollment numbers for the Affordable Care Act this year and is now setting its sights on lowering out-of-pocket costs - those not reimbursed by insurance. More than 56,000 New Mexicans are enrolled in a medical health insurance plan on the state exchange - an increase of 12,000 people overall.

Colin Baillio, deputy superintendent with the state's Office of Insurance, said the state has boosted its outreach and made efforts to improve the overall consumer experience.

"We saw a 40% year-over-year increase, and New Mexico saw the biggest percentage increase during the open-enrollment period among all of the state-based marketplaces," he explained

Part of the enrollment increase is due to what's called the "unwinding" - a federal directive that required all states to redetermine Medicaid eligibility following a three-year pause on checks during the COVID pandemic. He said by using expanded tools made available by the federal and state government, 8% of New Mexico's population is now uninsured - down from 23% in 2010.

Following approval by lawmakers in the 2024 legislative session, the New Mexico governor signed seven health care-related bills into law - one of which requires annual reporting of prescription drug pricing. Baililo said the Affordable Care Act built the foundation that has allowed the state to pursue additional affordability initiatives.

"I'm really glad to see that there's so much interest in the next step of health reform, really leaning into these out-of-pocket cost issues and making it easier for people to afford to stay covered and see their doctors," he continued.

Two years ago, the state also passed a one-of-a-kind law that did away with behavioral health co-pays for people in certain insurance plans.

New York's medical aid-in-dying bill is gaining further support. The Medical Society of the State of New York is supporting the bill. New York's bill allows terminally ill people with only six months to live to use this option, with safeguards requiring two physicians' approval.

The bill's Assembly sponsor Amy Paulin, D-Westchester, said despite the growing support, other hurdles lie ahead.

"Now we have what I believe, if it came to the floor, a majority. There's still a hesitation on the part of leadership. You know, we need members to assure leadership that they no longer have reservations," she said.

Other newly resolved concerns center on making sure insurance companies and doctors who don't support this aren't held liable. She's optimistic the bill will pass after nine years in the Legislature. New York would be the 11th state along with Washington, D.C. to have medical aid in dying legislation.

Corinne Carey, senior New York campaign director with Compassion and Choices finds the pandemic drew a vivid picture of a person's end-of-life experience. There were images of people dying on ventilators, apart from loved ones, and unable to communicate. She said people began thinking about a "good death."

"And, what is a good death is being surrounded by loved ones, having some measure of control, experiencing the touch of your loved ones, and being the one in the driver's seat," she explained.

Now people have different options for end-of-life care, each of which presents various challenges. Polls show medical aid in dying has garnered considerable support since being introduced in 2015. A 2022 Compassion and Choices poll finds 57% of nurses support medical aid in dying professionally, although fewer support it personally.