Latest news with #JordanRedman
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill to ban SNAP coverage for candy, soda heads to Idaho Senate
A sign noting the acceptance of electronic benefit transfer, or EBT, cards that are used by states to issue benefits is displayed at a convenience store on Dec. 4, 2019, in Richmond, California. () A bill to ban a food assistance program from covering candy and soda is headed to the Idaho Senate. The Idaho Senate Health and Welfare Committee on Tuesday advanced the bill to the full Senate, which could be the bill's last legislative hurdle before potentially becoming law. Idaho needs federal approval for the proposed ban. House Bill 109, cosponsored by Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d'Alene, would require the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to seek federal approval to exclude candy and soda from foods eligible for coverage by the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Idaho's bill is part of the national movement coined 'Make America Healthy Again,' or MAHA, promoted by U.S. health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Redman has told lawmakers. And, he said, soda is the 'number one commodity spent on SNAP.' 'Since many of the same households utilize Medicaid, taxpayers end up paying for the harmful cause and effect of this poor public policy,' the bill's senate cosponsor Sen. Ben Toews, R-Coeur d'Alene, told the Senate committee on Tuesday. Business industry representatives oppose the bill. Arguing the bill wouldn't be workable, Idaho House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise has said it would cause grocery stores to stop accepting SNAP. In Tuesday's Senate committee hearing, Toews was skeptical the bill would be unworkable. 'When there's profits involved, industry finds a way. They have, and they will continue to,' he said, adding that the bill's candy definition is used by 24 states in tax laws. Public testimony was mixed. Two supporters of the bill were affiliated with FGA Action, a Florida-based think tank that worked with Redman on his bill that would've likely repealed Idaho Medicaid expansion. The Idaho House narrowly passed the bill earlier this month. If the bill passes the Senate, it would need to avoid the governor's veto to become law. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Pushback has largely focused on the bill's broad candy definition, which critics say would also ban granola bars and power bars. The bill defines candy as 'a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners combined with chocolate, fruit, nuts or other ingredients or flavorings' in several forms. Under the bill, candy would not include items that need refrigeration or have more than 10% flour by weight. But the bill's soda definition also appears to be broad. Under the bill, soda includes nonalcoholic beverages with sweeteners, artificial or natural. But the bill doesn't consider soda to be drinks with more than 50% juice, contain milk or milk substitutes, or that need preparation, such as powders or concentrates. Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, said the bill is poorly written and felt like a 'nanny state' approach. 'I'm just begging us, please, let's not be a nanny state, and micromanage this little bit of money and tell people what they should eat when we have the biggest obesity problem in the United States — and it's not because of poor people eating Chips Ahoy,' Wintrow said. Sen. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, said he didn't struggle with the bill. 'I'm not confused with it. I see lobbyists who represent big corporations coming in here, trying to protect profits for their clients — which is their job. But that's not my job,' Lenney said. Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld, R-Twin Falls, said she thought the issue was worth looking into more, but she said she'd oppose it for now 'Being a taxpayer, I don't like that my money is being used for something that will make somebody unhealthy, you know. But when you look at obesity, it's not just about the calorie intake. It's also about the exercise. So maybe we can … require the SNAP recipients to have to walk a mile to the grocery store before using their card. I — I don't know,' Zuiderveld told lawmakers. The Senate committee's vote on the bill was unclear, with lawmakers only voting by voice. Almost 131,000 Idahoans are enrolled in SNAP, according to Idaho Department of Health and Welfare figures, receiving an average of $177 in monthly program benefits. If the federal U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, doesn't grant Idaho's candy/soda SNAP ban waiver, the bill says Health and Welfare 'shall request such a waiver annually until such a waiver is granted.' The bill's fiscal note estimates it would not have a fiscal impact. Republican legislators in Arizona, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming introduced similar bills, Stateline reported. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Idaho House passes bill restricting publicly funded aid for unauthorized immigrants
Members of the Idaho House of Representatives, including Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d'Alene, and Rep. Dori Healey, R-Boise, listen to action on the House floor on March 10, 2025, at the Idaho Capitol Building in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) The Idaho House passed House Bill 135 on Monday to prevent unauthorized immigrants in Idaho from accessing publicly-funded assistance. Bill sponsor Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d'Alene, said the goal of the bill is to prioritize people who are living in the U.S. with proper authorization to access welfare benefits. Redman introduced a similar bill last year, but that bill died in the committee process. To receive public assistance in Idaho, state agencies are largely required to verify the lawful presence of adults applying for the benefits. However, exceptions exist for certain services, including emergency health care, immunization assistance, programs like soup kitchens and crisis counseling, prenatal and postnatal care, and food assistance for dependent children. But House Bill 135 would remove some of those exceptions and require agencies to verify someone's immigration status for access to health assistance for immunizations, prenatal and postnatal care, food assistance for dependent children, and services from short-term shelters such as soup kitchens and crisis counseling. Republicans and Democrats shared concerns with the bill, however, the House passed it in a 46-22 vote. 'This bill has a laser focus on taking away care from babies, pregnant women and hungry children,' Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, said in opposition to the bill. Rep. Lori McCann, R-Lewiston, also opposed the bill, saying she would not support it because it would deny children access to food. 'So if I'm volunteering in a soup kitchen, and a young mother and three little young kids come in and they're hungry, and they look at us, and we say, where are your papers? Do you have documentation that you are a U.S. citizen? And if they can't, you say, 'I'm sorry, we're going to deny you any hot meal today,'' she said. McCann said as a Christian woman, she would not turn them away and would feed them. Proponents of the bill, such as Rep. David Leavitt, R- Twin Falls, said it would be a disservice to those who are living in the U.S. with proper authorization to allow unauthorized immigrants access to these services. 'I would just like to remind everybody that the U.S. government is not a charitable organization, and tax dollars are not charitable donations,' Rep. Lucas Cayler, R-Caldwell, also said. The bill is now headed to the Senate side where it must have a committee hearing and pass the Senate floor before reaching the governor's desk. Only then can the governor choose to sign it, let it become law without his signature or veto it. If it clears the Legislature, the bill would take effect on July 1. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Medicaid work requirements, managed care bill heads to Idaho Senate
Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d'Alene, speaks from the Idaho House floor on March 10, 2025, at the Idaho Capitol Building in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) The Idaho Senate Health and Welfare Committee on Monday advanced a bill that proposes sweeping policy changes to control Medicaid costs. House Bill 345 calls for Idaho to seek work requirements for able-bodied Idahoans on Medicaid, and to give Idahoans eligible for Medicaid expansion access to tax credits to buy insurance on Idaho's health care exchange. The bill's proposal for Medicaid work requirements — which requires federal approval to implement — has drawn the bulk of opposition. CONTACT US 'This bill truly does offer immediate savings for the taxpayers, as well as substantial long-term savings and stability to the Medicaid budget. And it deals with the entire budget itself,' said Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d'Alene, who is cosponsoring the bill along with the chairs of the Idaho Legislature's health committees, and Sen. Carl Bjerke, R-Coeur d'Alene. Despite largely negative opposition, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on Monday advanced the bill to the full Senate — which could be one of the bill's last legislative hurdles before potentially becoming law. The new bill had unanimous support from House Republicans when the Idaho House passed it last week — a significant shift from another bill by Redman that would've likely repealed Medicaid expansion and narrowly passed the Idaho House last month. To become law, Idaho bills must pass the House and Senate, and avoid the governor's veto. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Beyond Medicaid expansion, the bill proposes broader policy changes for the entire Medicaid program — a health care assistance program that covers about 262,000 Idahoans, including low-income earners, people with disabilities, pregnant women, and some older people. Almost 89,400 Idahoans are enrolled in Medicaid expansion, a voter-approved policy that raised the income eligibility cap. But in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee hearing Monday, several members of the public said they worried about the bill's provision to repeal agency administrative rules for Medicaid. Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Deputy Director Juliet Charron, who oversees Idaho Medicaid, said the agency plans to stand up temporary rules if the bill passes. 'Rules serve a purpose. They provide a lot of important information for providers, for participants and stakeholders we work with. And so we certainly don't want to disrupt that important structure that's there, but we will need to make some updates coming from this bill,' Charron told the committee. The new bill would also call for Idaho to plan to shift to management of Medicaid benefits to private companies, which is called managed care and is used by most states' Medicaid programs. And the bill directs the state to end Idaho's use of doctor-managed care, called value care, a unique model that has existed for a few years. The bill could save Idaho $15.9 million in fiscal year 2026 and even more in the future, the bill's fiscal note estimates. But the timing depends on federal approval, the fiscal note says. Sen. Brandon Shippy, R-New Plymouth, said he was reluctantly supporting the bill, saying he had reservations about managed care. 'We may be creating a monster that … will live on perpetually here. And we might regret that,' he said in committee. Bjerke, who is cosponsoring the new Medicaid cost bill, said 'I hope it's not a monster. I wouldn't be part of it if I thought for a second that that was the case.' Bjerke also said the testimony he heard against both major Medicaid bills this year was 'almost identical.' 'There's a sense I have that really there's nothing short of keeping what we have right now, for some folks, that is going to be worth moving forward on. And I disagree with that,' he told the committee. 'I think we have an obligation to the state. Who we have an obligation to are the least of us — the most vulnerable. That if we don't get a handle on these programs, (it's) those people that will be affected the most.' Other states' experiences and a federal watchdog report suggest costs for Medicaid work requirements are high, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported. Some advocates say Medicaid work requirements are costly and are effectively just administrative barriers to access the program — since almost half of Idahoans on Medicaid are already working. And many other Idahoans on Medicaid, advocates say, would be exempt from work requirements under exceptions the bill spells out, such as for parents of children age 6 and under, people with disabilities, college students, volunteers and caretakers. The bill's proposed work requirements are nearly identical to Arkansas's work requirements, which saw one in four people lose coverage even though 95% of them met work requirements or were exempt, Idaho Voices for Children Senior Policy Associate Hillarie Hagen testified. 'We should learn from other states and recognize: These just don't work as intended,' Hagen said. Under the Trump administration, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved work requirements in 13 states — for the first time in Medicaid's history, according to KFF. The Biden administration rescinded the approvals. Several courts struck down states' work requirement policies, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Idaho Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, was the only lawmaker on the Senate Health and Welfare Committee who voted against the bill. 'The work requirement causes me a little concern, a lot of concern. Only because I think the cost-containment could come is if people can't get the paperwork filled out, or we don't have the right software, or somebody misses up, then we're going to miss somebody's coverage,' she said. 'And I would hope that that's not what our intent is.' Many of the bill's proposals require federal approval, and would likely take years to implement. In 2019, Idaho failed to receive federal approval — then by the Trump administration — for Medicaid work requirements and an exchange tax credit option, which are similar to the new bill's provisions. If passed into law, the bill would take effect immediately through an emergency clause. Republican Idaho lawmakers have long worried about the federal government reducing its high match rate for Medicaid expansion. If the federal government cuts down on covering 90% of Medicaid expansion costs while the Idaho Legislature isn't in session, the new Medicaid cost bill would give the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare director broad power to enact cuts to the program — until the Legislature reconvenes. Congressional House Republicans recently approved a budget plan that calls for steep spending cuts that policy experts anticipate will require deep cuts to Medicaid. The bill calls for Idaho to seek federal approval for patient 'cost-sharing,' which would require Medicaid enrollees to essentially pay copayments for services they receive. The bill also calls for Idaho to seek federal approval to no longer allow state health officials to automatically renew Medicaid for people based on publicly available information, or to use pre-populated forms. And the bill calls for Idaho to implement twice-yearly Medicaid expansion eligibility checks, up from the once-a-year eligibility checks Idaho Medicaid currently does. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Idaho House committee advances ‘compromise' Medicaid cost bill
Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d'Alene, on the Idaho House floor on March 25, 2024. (Kyle Pfannenstiel/Idaho Capital Sun) A bill meant to contain Medicaid costs in Idaho is headed to the House floor for a vote after the House Health and Welfare Committee voted to advance it on Tuesday. House Bill 345 would create work and volunteer requirements for able-bodied Idahoans enrolled in Medicaid, and let Idahoans eligible for Medicaid expansion access tax credits to purchase insurance on Idaho's health care exchange. An Idaho 'reform' bill would likely repeal voter-approved Medicaid expansion. Here's why. It would require the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare seek waivers from the federal government, a move that some legislators have been skeptical of, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported. In 2019, Idaho failed to receive federal approval — then by the Trump administration — for Medicaid work requirements and an exchange tax credit option, which are similar to the new bill's provisions, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported. Bill sponsor, Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d'Alene, said the bill would provide immediate savings to the state and long term sustainability and accountability measures. After more than an hour of testimony and two failed motions to hold the bill in the committee, the committee voted along party lines to move the bill to the House floor with a recommendation that it pass. The Idaho House will vote on the bill at a later date. 'It's none of my intention to not provide the services to those who need it and those who are eligible, but it is my intention to make sure that we can kind of control the cost,' said bill cosponsor and committee chairman Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa. Legislators on the committee thanked Redman for drafting the legislation in a way that comprised the need to cut down on Medicaid costs without entirely repealing Medicaid expansion. However, most of those who testified opposed the legislation, including health care providers and representatives from nonprofit groups who mostly criticized the bill's work requirements, citing concerns it would implement more bureaucratic hurdles for low-income Idahoans seeking health care. Jennifer Johnson, was the first to testify to the committee. As a business owner and single parent with two children with serious medical conditions, she said her family relies on Medicaid expansion for care and prescriptions. 'While I understand the goal of reducing Medicaid costs, this bill does the opposite by adding unnecessary expenses and red tape,' Johnson said. 'Adding work requirements is unnecessary. Those who are participating in Medicaid through expansion are people like me who are working one or more jobs, volunteering in the community and raising families, but doing so at low incomes.' Like Johnson, Dr. Melanie Edwards, a physical therapist from Idaho Falls, opposed the bill. Edwards said the bill would not control costs. She said bureaucratic barriers, such as job reporting requirements, would cause Idahoans to lose their Medicaid, ultimately reducing access to preventive care. She also said she is concerned about the term 'able-bodied' in the bill. 'I think of people in the early 60s, such as a retired farmer with a bad back from a lifetime of hard work and no local job or volunteer opportunities that he could do, or a man who has severe mental illness such that he's unable to work,' Edwards said. 'Most of these people have not been classified as disabled, and so are regarded as able-bodied. These situations are not rare outliers in Idaho. The work or volunteer requirement would strip away their care.' According to the policy analysis nonprofit, KFF, about 18% of Idaho's population is enrolled in Medicaid. Chris Cargill, the president of the Mountain States Policy Center, spoke in favor of the legislation. 'This program was specifically designed for the most vulnerable, the working poor, parents with children and the disabled,' Cargill said. 'Medicaid was never intended to provide health insurance for more than 20% of the population. As you all know, the cost of Medicaid coverage for the state is skyrocketing, and unless you act, you could very well lose financial control of this program.' 'If the federal government reduced Medicaid expansion dollars tomorrow, would Idaho be ready?' Cargill said to the committee. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Idaho House narrowly passes bill to ban SNAP coverage for candy, soda
The Idaho bill would require the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to request federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, through a waiver to ban SNAP coverage for candy and soda. (Photo by) The Idaho House narrowly passed a bill to ban a nutritional assistance program formerly known as food stamps from covering candy and soda. House Bill 109, by Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d'Alene, would require the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to seek federal approval to exclude candy and soda from foods eligible for coverage by the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Idaho's bill is part of the national movement coined 'Make America Healthy Again,' or MAHA, promoted by U.S. health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Redman told the House lawmakers. Redman told Idaho House lawmakers soda is the 'number one commodity spent on SNAP.' After little debate, the Idaho House passed the bill on a 38-32 vote Monday. Twenty-three Republican House lawmakers joined all nine House Democrats in opposing the bill. The bill now heads to the Idaho Senate for consideration. To become law, Idaho bills must pass the House and Senate, and avoid the governor's veto. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Last week, the Idaho House Health and Welfare Committee narrowly advanced the bill to the full House — on an 8-7 vote. Redman also defended the bill against critiques over its definition and concerns by business industry groups who have said the bill would be difficult to implement. He said the bill uses a definition said is used in state tax laws, and modern technology eases the process for businesses to exclude foods ineligible under the bill. 'SNAP is not a mandatory program. If it's too difficult, they're not required to accept SNAP. They don't have to be involved in the program,' he said. 'However, I do think with point-of-sales systems today, that the ease of use is actually a lot easier.' The bill defines candy as 'a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners combined with chocolate, fruit, nuts or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of confections, bars, drops or pieces.' Under the bill, candy would not include 'any item that contains more than' 10% flour 'by weight or requires refrigeration.' Idaho House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, was the only lawmaker to debate the bill on the House floor. Repeating concerns she raised in committee, she said the bill wouldn't just ban Twix bars — it would also ban granola bars and power bars. She told House lawmakers the bill was opposed by many Idaho business groups, including the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, a powerful lobbying group. The bill won't be workable, she argued, and would prompt grocery stores to stop accepting SNAP. 'If we put this incredibly vague and un-administrable definition in front of them, we will simply see grocery stores not accepting this and low-income families unable to get food at all,' Rubel said. Almost 131,000 Idahoans are enrolled in SNAP, according to figures released last month. On average, an Idahoan on SNAP receives $177 in program benefits monthly, data from Health and Welfare shows. Rubel argued Idaho should wait to see how the federal government tackles the issue, referencing the 'Healthy SNAP Act' in Congress. The Idaho bill would require the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to request federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, through a waiver to ban SNAP coverage for candy and soda. If the federal government doesn't grant that waiver for Idaho, the bill says the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare 'shall request such a waiver annually until such a waiver is granted.' The bill's fiscal note estimates it would not have a fiscal impact. Applying for the waiver wouldn't cost Idaho money, Redman told House lawmakers, saying it would only require an email from the Department of Health and Welfare director to the federal USDA. Republican legislators in Arizona, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming have introduced similar bills to request federal approval to ban SNAP coverage for candy and soda, Stateline reported. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
