BOISE, ID – A bill introduced Wednesday in the Idaho Legislature would prohibit health care providers that accept Medicaid funding to have any “DEI” policies in employment, training or practice requirements.
Rep. Clint Hostetler, R-Twin Falls, who introduced the bill in the House Health and Welfare Committee, said the bill clarifies that “employment and contracting decisions should be based on professional qualifications, clinical competency and quality of patient care.”
The bill’s introduction allows it to return to the committee for a full public hearing.
He said it reaffirmed the goals of previously approved legislation that cracked down on “DEI,” which stands for “diversity, equity and inclusion” policies in higher education.
The bill’s definition of DEI includes critical race theory, anti-racism, and “any form of race or sex stereotyping or scapegoating.”
‘’A merit-based health care system strengthens trusts, improves outcomes and ensures that resources are directed towards excellency and efficiency,” Hostetler said.
What would the Idaho anti-DEI bill do?
The bill would prohibit practices such as “race-based” or “sex-based” preferences; targets, benchmarks, quotas, or equity goals; mandatory bias, implicit bias, systemic bias, or “similar training that assigns responsibility, disadvantage, o professional outcomes based on protected characteristics rather than individual merit or performance” or required diversity statements or pledges.
Compliance would need to be a condition for all Medicaid provider agreements, and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare would need to ensure network-wide compliance for any state Medicaid managed care contractors.
Reps. Megan Egbert, D-Boise, and Lori McCann, R-Lewiston, both questioned what would happen to existing contracts with Medicaid providers if the bill went into effect.
McCann also asked if Hostetler had examples of issues the bill would address.
“I’d like to know, are we fixing a problem, or are we creating a problem?” McCann asked.
Under the bill, the attorney general could investigate alleged violations upon receipt of a formal complaint and pursue monetary penalties.
Hostetler said he would bring examples to a full public hearing.
This story first appeared on Idaho Capital Sun.
