Welcome back!
Hi everyone! It’s been a while. I hope you all have had a great year and I hope you are as excited as I am about the upcoming legislative session! This past week, Governor Otter provided us with a preview of what’s to come this legislative session.
PCAP overview
On Thursday, Governor Otter revealed his $30 million plan to provide preventive, primary medical care to the estimated 78,000 Idaho residents that fall in the “gap” population. The Primary Care Access Program (PCAP) is a public-private partnership that would benefit Idahoans who have no access to health insurance. The proposal attempts to connect uninsured Idaho adults living in poverty with primary health care and preventive services to help keep them healthy. For the past few years, the Governor’s Medicaid Redesign Task Force has been recommending Medicaid expansion but legislators have not seemed to budge. Otter called PCAP an “Idaho solution”.
Here are the materials posted on Governor Otter’s website:
Press release: http://www.gov.idaho.gov/mediacenter/press/pr2016/1_Jan/pr_01.html
PCAP Summary: http://www.gov.idaho.gov/pdf/2016/PCAP_Summary.pdf
PCAP FAQs:
http://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/portals/0/aboutus/newsroom/faqs_pcap.pdf
Betsy Russell of The Spokesman-Review reports that the House and Senate Health and Welfare chairs applaud Otter’s plan. Link to full article.
What to look forward to this week
- Governor Otter will be making his State of the State address on Monday
- Close the Gap Idaho will be holding a press conference in response to PCAP after the State of the State on Monday at 2:30 PM
What to look forward to this session
Last session, IPHA’s very own Dr. Sarah Toevs and the Idaho Caregiver Alliance formed a Task Force to examine policies, resources and programs available for caregivers in Idaho and other states. The Task Force also studied innovative ways to support unpaid family caregivers. The Task Force found that:
- Family caregiving impacts all aspects of a family’s economic, physical, cultural, and social wellbeing.
- Most caregivers are juggling paid work and caregiving.
- Caregiver stress has costs.
- Assistance is fragmented and mostly focused on the care recipient.
- Demographics are changing; 23 % of Idaho’s population will be over age 60 by the year 2030, an increase of 33 % from 2012 (US Census Bureau, 2009 Projections).
- Non-profit organizations have not been a sustainable source of support for caregivers.
- Respite care is inadequate.
We look forward to the recommendations that the Idaho Caregiver Alliance will be making this session. The group’s final report can be accessed here.
Mark your calendars!
Just a reminder that registration is available for the Idaho Public Health Association Annual Meeting. Attendance is free but we ask that you register in advance. Refreshments and light appetizers will be provided. Agenda topics include introduction of new IPHA Board members, IPHA updates, and announcement of the annual award and student scholarship recipients. Online registration available on the IPHA website.
Event details:
Idaho Public Health Association Annual Meeting
Location: Hampton Inn & Suites-Boise Spectrum
Date: January 13, 2016
Time: 4:30-6:30 PM MST
More information and online registration: Idaho Public Health Association Annual Meeting
