No one should have to choose between buying food and filling a prescription their doctor prescribed. We would not want that decision forced on ourselves, our parents, or our neighbors.
Democrats act on that belief. We capped insulin at $35 per month for people on Medicare, limited annual out-of-pocket prescription costs, and gave Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices. These policies save seniors money and are supported across party lines.
The Trump regime just announced it will end the support that keeps Medicare Part D premiums down for more than 11 million Americans, including 125,000 Idahoans enrolled in stand-alone prescription drug plans. Part D helps older Americans and people with disabilities afford medications that control diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other serious conditions.
It is the governing model Republican leaders use again and again: cut the programs that keep healthcare within reach, use the money to give wealthy donors tax cuts, and leave everyone else to pay more or go without treatment.
Idahoans have seen the damage.
More than 100,000 people in our state relied on enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits to buy insurance. Republicans let those credits expire. Reps. Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher voted against restoring them. Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch have not secured an extension.
Average monthly premiums rose by 114%. About 5,000 Idahoans did not renew coverage during open enrollment. Nearly 25,000 more dropped their plans afterward. Many who stayed insured moved into bronze plans with higher deductibles and larger bills when they needed care.
Republicans also cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid through Trump’s so-called Big Beautiful Bill. Nearly dollar for dollar, that money financed tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.
Those cuts threaten coverage for 37,000 Idahoans and put three rural hospitals at risk of closure. At the Statehouse, Republican lawmakers piled on by cutting provider rates, limiting physical, occupational, and speech therapy, reducing disability services, and eliminating mental health services.
As we mark 61 years of Medicare and Medicaid, we should recognize what these programs have made possible. Seniors can fill prescriptions and see a doctor. People with disabilities can receive services that help them live independently. Children can get preventive care. Rural hospitals can keep their doors open.
Republicans in power are dismantling this progress piece by piece. Higher premiums force families off insurance. Medicaid cuts push providers out of reach. Rising prescription costs make seniors ration the medicine they need.
November is our chance to stop the damage. Electing Democrats means restoring the ACA tax credits, protecting Medicare prescription coverage, and reversing Medicaid cuts before more Idahoans lose access to care. With lives on the line, changing course could not be more urgent.
Onward,
Lauren Necochea
Idaho Democratic Party Chair