Obamacare a shot in arm for Gem State

BOISE – Reliance on Idaho’s indigent health care program is down 25 percent the past two years, in part because more people are purchasing insurance through the state exchange.

In a presentation to the Idaho Legislature’s joint budget committee Thursday, Bonneville County Commissioner Roger Christensen said the number of new cases in the Catastrophic Health Care Program dropped from 6,491 in 2012 to 4,864 last year.

Through the first six months of fiscal 2015, the caseload is down another 13 percent.

Obamacare is one of several factors contributing to that decline, said Christensen, who is chairman of the Catastrophic Health Care Board. Counties are also doing a better job of screening applicants to determine if they’re eligible for Medicaid, and checking if they have other resources available to cover their medical costs.

“It’s hard to determine which (factor) has the biggest impact, but the fact we now have 84,000 people signed up for insurance through the exchange seems to be having an effect,” he said.

The indigent program is the payer of last resort for people who can’t otherwise afford medical care. Counties cover the first $11,000 in costs for each applicant; the state picks up any remaining costs.

The total cost of the program topped $52.6 million in 2014; the state’s share was $29 million, down from $38.3 million in 2012.

While the overall caseload is on the decline, Christensen said mental health cases are on the rise.

“Forty percent of our cases last year were for mental health issues,” he said. “That’s up 11 percent. I’m not sure if that’s because we don’t have enough mental health services available. It’s a difficult disease to diagnose and treat, because every treatment is different. We’ve observed that those who receive treatment and stay on their (medications) have fewer problems.”