Idaho Governor Not Convinced People Die Because Of Lack Of Insurance

[KamaAina]

http://boisestatepublicradio.org/post/idaho-governor-not-convinced-people-die-because-lack-insurance

Idaho governor Butch Otter stood in front of reporters Monday and called the legislative session that ended Friday “pretty good.” Later in the press conference with legislative leaders he said lawmakers did a “tremendous job.” Lieutenant Governor Brad Little called it a “great session.” And Speaker of the House Scott Bedke recited a list of people he thought should be happy with it including teachers, students, firefighters and state employees.

But much of the session wrap-up focused on the legislature’s lack of action to extend health coverage to the estimated 78,000 Idahoans who don’t have insurance because they fall in the gap between qualifying for Medicaid and Obamacare subsidies. Lawmakers this year spent a lot of time discussing various plans to address the gap but nothing ultimately passed. Otter said he was disappointed they did not go forward on closing that gap. But he said he did not totally agree with the claim some have made that Idahoans are dying because they fall in the gap.

“I see plenty of people that die every day in hospitals and they have insurance,” Otter said. “And they’re in the hospital. But they still die.”

Otter said multiple times that people without insurance have healthcare options such as the Terry Reilly clinics. He said he is not considering calling a special legislative session to address the health coverage gap.

Butch Otter? Wasn't he a porn star in the '70s?

[Warpy]

1. OH? Do they do surgeries at those clinics? Transfusios? Chemotherapy?

I can't believe these guys are so unbearably dumb about health care.

[IDemo]

2. Dying people aren't of any particular concern to Gov. Butch or the legislature

This year alone, besides blowing off 78,000 citizens in the Medicare gap, they have chosen to disregard the hazard of faith healing to dying children, kept medical marijuana's status as the Devil's Weed, OK'd fast-tracking of fracking and drilling permits and legalized concealed carry of weapons without a permit.

[Downwinder]

3. Set an example Guv. Give up your and your family's

health Insurance. Let the Legislature do the same.

Lead by example.

[hfojvt]

4. I went for over 15 years with no health insurance

From the time I was 23 until I was 42. IIRC I only died three times in that period. It might have been four or five times, I was not really keeping track.

Did they reject medicaid expansion, or is there still a gap? A guy I know was just talking about paying the fine this year. He said the subsidy is too small and the coverage too crappy.

[hobbit709]

5. My housemate didn't make enough to have to pay the fine.

Much less pay the premiums with a $6,000 deductible. Even if he could afford the monthly premium he couldn't afford the copay.

[hfojvt]

8. Well, copays are not that high

unless you do something major.

From what I saw, I believe my silver plan is at least as good as what I got from work. I am not sure if I would have to pay the fine. I make about $16,000 a year (depending on what the market does, and how many extra hours I work). My subsidy was $330 a month. I only took $300 of it which leaves me about $75 a month to pay. Saves me about $3,000 a year. I hope I don't have to test the coverage.

[hobbit709]

10. He couldn't even afford the bronze

[KamaAina]

7. What do you think? Otter has an (R) after his name.

Sure enough, they rejected it.

[hfojvt]

9. some of the more sensible R's took it

In other words though, they could fill that gap AND get an economic boost for their state.

[hobbit709]

6. Idaho governor is either stupider than he looks or a major lying POS.

[ibegurpard]

11. Well they don't

They die from a lack of healthcare. A point that seems to have been lost on Democrats when they decided giving away taxpayer money to private insurance companies instead of providing single-payer was the way to go about healthcare "reform."

[HuckleB]

12. Improved Headline: Idaho Governor, Shows Self To Be Scumbag

[Initech]

13. I would have thought Butch Otter was a WWE wrestler!

[IDemo]

14. --

In August 1992, Otter was pulled over on Interstate 84 near Meridian for suspicion of driving under the influence. He claimed the arresting officer observed him swerving as he was reaching for his cowboy hat, which had been blown off by the wind in his open car. Otter offered several explanations for failing the field sobriety test including: his stocking feet were stung by weeds and gravel, he had run eight miles and his knee hurt, he was hungry, and that he had soaked his chewing tobacco in Jack Daniel's. A jury convicted Otter in March 1993, and he was sentenced to 72 hours of community service and 16 hours at an alcohol treatment program, fined $700, and had his license revoked.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butch_Otter#Controversies

[Maru Kitteh]

15. Living in NW Montana I can definitively say that parts of Idaho = Kansas

And on another note:

“I see plenty of people that die every day in hospitals and they have insurance,” Otter said. “And they’re in the hospital. But they still die.”

So this governor guy spends every day going around to hospitals watching people expire? 'Splains a lot.

[IDemo]

16. Idaho legislator on failure to act on faith healing bill:

"Children do die. I’m not trying to sound callous, but (reformers) want to act as if death is an anomaly. But it’s not — it’s a way of life.

They are comforted by the fact that they know their child is in heaven. If I want to let my child be with God, why is that wrong?"

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2016/03/idaho-republicans-kill-bill-that-would-protect-children-from-faith-healing-parents/

[Maru Kitteh]

17. Well. There you have it then. Death - it's not just a hobby

It's a way of life.

I've heard that opposable thumbs are sometimes known to skip a generation. Perhaps this may explain the good governor and company's, um, deficiencies.