Among those testifying this morning at the public hearing on health and welfare issues:

Randy Nielsen, who sat in his wheelchair and asked a friend to read part of his testimony, said, “I want to start with the things that the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare is doing right. I do appreciate the opportunity to stay in my home.” He said the law that passed 10 years ago that “allowed disabled people like myself to stay on Medicaid and keep working” with a “reasonable premium” has made a big difference. But he said Idaho’s personal allowance for Medicaid recipients is too low, one of the lowest in the nation. “I’ve been put on a budget by Medicaid that barely allows me to pay my mortgage, utilities and groceries. I own my own home and have other expenses that are not budgeted by Medicaid,” he said. He added, “There’s a person I know, she takes care of her own child that has cererbal palsy, in her own home. And she’s only getting paid $50 a day to do that, where if it was in a nursing home, it would be more like $200 or $300 a day. I don’t see the justice in that.”

Terri Stirling told lawmakers, “I support access to health care for everyone. I want them to have comprehensive health care,” not just primary and preventive care. She urged the committee to keep Idaho taxpayers’ money in Idaho.

Eileen Kingery spoke of concerns about her son’s mental health services being cut. “Because PSR services are being denied, children are being admitted to hospitals or end up incarcerated, where conditions … are horrific,” she said.