Now is the time for Prop 2

As a family doctor in Idaho, I have the privilege of hearing life stories. Some of the most heartbreaking are from those who have illness or injury but no health insurance for needed care.

I recently spoke to a young woman working as an office receptionist married to a construction worker, both of whom worked multiple part-time jobs to provide for their family and contribute to the community. She had asthma. Their daughter required braces. The parents did not have employer-provided insurance because they worked less than full time at each employer. They saved everything they could to pay for the braces. Then she got sick and could not afford the inhalers for her asthma. Her breathing got so labored that it was difficult to do her job without coughing or wheezing.

Like this couple, 70 percent of the 62,000 Idahoans currently unable to qualify for insurance in Idaho work full time. This includes 1,570 in Bonner County. The legislature has repeatedly failed to act. It is time now for Proposition 2 to expand state health insurance. It is our time to vote yes to help our friends and family who deserve essential health care.

Scott Dunn, MD

Sandpoint, Idaho