Rating: –1

Bill Summary:

Senate Bill 1096 repeals and replaces Chapter 1, Title 56 of Idaho Code to overhaul the state’s hospital assessment program. The new framework authorizes the Department of Health and Welfare to impose an annual assessment on Idaho hospitals to fund the nonfederal share of the state’s Medicaid expenditures and maintain eligibility for federal matching funds. The bill outlines which hospitals are subject to the assessment, how assessment amounts are determined, how funds are distributed, and which exemptions apply. It also grants rulemaking authority to the department and establishes procedures for enforcement, collection, and legal recourse. The bill includes an emergency clause and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Reason for Rating:

S1096 receives a negative rating because it significantly expands state authority over private hospitals by creating a mandatory assessment structure to fund Medicaid—a program that already constitutes a major and growing portion of state and federal spending. The Idaho Republican Party Platform supports limited government, reduced dependency on federal funds, and free-market solutions to health care. This bill contradicts those principles by:

• Institutionalizing a government-imposed financial burden on private hospitals,
• Perpetuating Idaho’s dependence on federal Medicaid dollars,
• Encouraging long-term reliance on taxpayer-subsidized health care programs,
• And introducing enforcement mechanisms that increase regulatory control without adequate accountability.

Although proponents may argue the bill secures vital funding without raising taxes directly on citizens, the cost is ultimately passed on to patients through increased hospital fees. The structure it creates entrenches a centralized healthcare funding model and reinforces Medicaid expansion infrastructure that many conservatives oppose. For these reasons, S1096 earns a negative rating.