Cancer Advocates Celebrate as Governor Signs “Jill’s Law” for Biomarker Testing Coverage
JACKSON, Miss. – Cancer advocates are celebrating after Gov.
Shawn O'Neal
Senior Regional Media Advocacy Manager
State Legislature Continues Assault on Idahoans’ Health Care
Cancer Patients Among Those Who Could Lose Health Care Access Under House Bill 913
March 23, 2026
BOISE, Idaho –– Taking health care coverage from Idahoans continues to be a top priority for the Idaho Legislature as it works towards closing the 2026 session. House Bill 913 is yet another destructive bill that would strip insurance from our hard-working friends and neighbors and implement onerous government paperwork even on those who clearly meet heightened work-reporting requirements.
HB 913, which has passed the Idaho House Health & Welfare Committee, would institute the harshest option available to the state under federal law: a three-month review for all new enrollees, essentially denying coverage to anybody who cannot prove they have met the work-reporting requirements for the previous 90 days. This is particularly cruel to those engaging in treatment for diseases like cancer.
This statement from American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Idaho Government Relations Director Randy Johnson can be used in full or in part:
“Voters have told lawmakers repeatedly to stop these attacks on ballot-initiated Medicaid expansion as well as the brazen disregard for their wishes. Idahoans have been clear that they want Medicaid expansion to remain in place without changes. Yet House Bill 913 is the same, old play with a different name.
“It is important to recognize that both federal and Idaho policymakers have already acted on the issue of work-reporting requirements. Congress passed work requirement policies through H.R.1, and Idaho recently passed House Bill 345, mandating work-reporting requirements. These policies are not yet fully implemented or evaluated. Advancing HB 913 now adds further bureaucracy to a system already undergoing significant change, without understanding the real-world impact of the policies already enacted.
“The provisions of HB 913 adopt the harshest state options allowed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) and could have devastating consequences for patients, including, but not limited to, delays in treatment and care and coverage loss even for individuals who should remain eligible, due to burdensome administrative requirements. It allows limited flexibility by the state to protect cancer patients and caregivers.
“Congress did not intend H.R. 1 to jeopardize cancer patients’ access to lifesaving treatment, nor do I believe that is the intent of the Idaho Legislature. However, advancing HB 913 before key provisions of H.R. 1 are fully interpreted by the Trump Administration creates risk of unintended harm.
“HB 913 creates barriers to health care access for Idahoans—especially cancer patients and those with serious illnesses. Further, it will not reduce costs in a meaningful way and it will make the program harder for the state to manage. It adds red tape that will strip eligible individuals of their coverage and we’ve seen firsthand how bureaucratic hurdles cause people to lose coverage—not because they are ineligible, but due to unnecessary administrative obstacles. Medicaid expansion is a lifeline for thousands of Idahoans, and this legislation takes it away from many, which seems to be the goal of this legislature. As the session winds down, we hope lawmakers will see this for what it is and end this threat once and for all.”
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