Hospitals in Idaho may be creating increasingly coordinated healthcare models to curb rising costs and catch health issues earlier, but they are not receiving enough support from lawmakers, according to the Idaho Hospital Association.
The state is "at a crossroads" between the reality of it being one of the fastest-growing states in the country and facing inadequate healthcare resources, IHA's vice president of government relations, Toni Lawson, said in a commentary piece in the Idaho Capital Sun on Sept. 26.
Almost 70 percent of Idahoans say they worry about people in the state getting sufficient access to healthcare over the next 10 years, and about two-thirds of them they would be willing to pay more to safeguard such access, Ms. Lawson said.
"They understand healthcare is not just another resource," she wrote. "It’s a lifeline that can mean the difference between survival or tragedy. With increasing challenges to recruit and retain healthcare professionals in Idaho, I wonder … when your family needs that lifeline, will there be a doctor in the house?"
More needs to be done to invest in expanded capacity, especially in rural areas, according to Ms. Lawson. It is the wrong approach, conversely, to cut services to lower costs.
"Idahoans understand there is a critical connection between health and access to care," Ms. Lawson wrote. "Policymakers should take these findings to heart as they shape the future of our state. It's time to ask lawmakers to commit to creating a healthier, more resilient Idaho."