The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to send House Bill 31 to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation after a brief presentation and no questions from members.

Jared Larson, legislative and regulatory affairs chief at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, told the committee the bill "guarantees that Medicaid is always the payer of last resort." Larson said the measure addresses a narrow situation in which a private insurer’s prior-authorization process could otherwise cause the private plan to pay for a service even when Medicaid has authorized it. He said the bill implements a requirement from federal legislation that must be reflected in state Medicaid law.

The bill’s sponsor on the floor will be Senator Blaylock; in committee, Senator Blaylock moved to send the bill to the floor and Senator Harris seconded the motion. The committee approved the motion by voice vote. The committee record does not show a roll-call tally; members present responded "aye" on the voice vote.

Larson described the change as limited and not common in practice, and he thanked Representative Redmond and Senator Blaylock for agreeing to carry the legislation. Committee members raised no questions during the presentation.

The committee’s action forwards the bill for consideration by the full Senate; no committee amendment or additional direction to staff was recorded.