Idaho Code § 56-251 Legislative Intent

• Library: Idaho Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through the 2023 Regular Legislative Session
• Year: 2023
• Citation: Idaho Code § 56-251

(1) The legislature finds that the current federal medicaid law and regulations have not kept pace with modern health care management practices, create obstacles to quality care and impose unnecessary costs on the delivery of effective and efficient health care. The legislature believes that the state of Idaho must strive to balance efforts to contain medicaid costs, improve program quality and improve access to services. The legislature further believes that the state of Idaho could achieve improved health outcomes for medicaid participants by simplifying eligibility and developing health benefits for medicaid participants according to their health needs, including appropriate preventive and wellness services.

(2) The legislature supports development, at a minimum, of the following health-need categories:

(a) Low-Income Children and Working-Age Adults with No Special Health Needs. The broad policy goal for the medicaid program for low-income children and working-age adults with no special health needs is to achieve and maintain wellness by emphasizing prevention and by proactively managing health. Additional specific goals are:

(i) To emphasize preventive care and wellness;

(ii) To increase participant ability to make good health choices; and

(iii) To strengthen the employer-based health insurance system.

(b) Persons with Disabilities or Special Health Needs. The broad policy goal for the medicaid program for persons with disabilities or special health needs is to finance and deliver cost-effective individualized care. Additional specific goals are: