SALT LAKE CITY — BYU-Idaho has reversed a recent decision to no longer accept Medicaid for student health insurance and has “apologize(d) for the turmoil caused by our earlier decision.”
“We have decided that Medicaid, as it has been in previous years, will meet the health coverage requirement at BYU-Idaho,” reads an email dated Nov. 25, 2019. “Because of its limited capacity and scope of services, our Health Center has not been a Medicaid service provider. This will not change. We are grateful to the healthcare professionals in the area who provide services to Medicaid recipients.”
The decision to not accept Medicaid was reported by media outlets after students protested the decision. It was reported nationally on Sunday by The New York Times. The article said the decision “confused and angered students” at the Rexburg, Idaho, campus, which is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“The well-being of our students and their families is very important to us,” the university’s email said Monday. “We are grateful for the feedback we have received from our campus community and for the input of the local medical community.”