STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Many said it couldn’t be done, given Idaho’s restrictive requirements regarding ballot initiatives.

But earlier this week representatives of Reclaim Idaho said they had 55,000 of the 56,192 valid signatures needed to put an initiative that would expand Medicaid for 78,000 low-income Idahoans on the ballot in November.

They have until the end of the day on Monday, April 30, to get the remaining 1,200 signatures. (Editor's Note: Representatives of Reclaim Idaho announced Monday morning that they did succeed in collecting enough signatures and qualifying enough legislative districts.)

Idaho is among several states, including nearby Utah, that may follow the lead of voters in Maine who voted to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act via ballot initiative.

Grassroots organizers have sought to put the vote before the people after legislatures and governors blocked the idea.

Many thought it couldn’t be done here in Idaho. Since the Legislature started requiring signatures across 18 different districts, no ballot initiative has succeeded.

Blaine County has already exceeded its goal of 2,000 signatures for the Medicaid Expansion ballot initiative, according to Molly Page who has spearheaded the local effort. But signature gatherers have continued to knock on doors to add to the statewide total.

Ketchum resident Gary Hoffman was among 50 volunteers in Blaine County who collected signatures outside the Ketchum Post office and other locales this winter.

He was rebuffed by some who were not registered voters, some who were from out of state and some who were in a hurry.

“But most wanted to be informed,” he said. “As someone collecting signatures, you can’t do anything except explain. You can’t get into a debate or argument. The most important thing to say is: This just gets it on the ballot.”

Most seem to realize that “it’s our money in Washington and we just want to get it back to Idaho,” Hoffman added.

“We pay federal tax dollars to D.C. and this would allow us to take those dollars back. Right now we don’t and it doesn’t seem right. To say it’s wrong to accept these dollars seems to me the height of bitter humor.”

Nineteen states, including Idaho, have rejected federal money for Medicaid expansion, leaving nearly 2.5 million people insured.

Idaho has left $600 million of federal money unclaimed each year that would have provided health care for 78,000 Idahoans who can’t get health care because they make too little to afford their own but too much to qualify for Medicaid, said Luke Mayville, who was among those who launched the campaign.

The federal government picked up 100 percent of the cost from 2014 through 2016. It is currently picking up about 90 percent or slightly more.