January 15, 2026

Congratulations IMA District Seven Trustee, Dr. Brandon Mickelsen!

We are happy to announce that Brandon Mickelsen, DO, of Pocatello, was re-elected to serve as Trustee for District Seven to the IMA Board of Trustees.

Each IMA Board member is a liaison between component societies and the association, representing the needs of their local healthcare community and submitting a report to the IMA House of Delegates regarding his or her trustee district.

The IMA is looking forward to continuing a productive partnership with Dr. Mickelsen. Congratulations!

Idaho Awarded Nearly $1 Billion in Rural Transformation Funds

Governor Brad Little announced via a December 30th Press Release that the State of Idaho will receive close to $930 million over five years to improve rural healthcare through the Rural Healthcare Transformation grants included in last year's federal tax and spending package.

Idaho will receive $185.97 million annually for five years to strengthen and modernize health care in rural communities. Idaho's application was submitted by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) in consultation with the Idaho Rural Health Taskforce and public comment. Idaho's plan focuses on five core initiatives:

1) Improving rural access to care through technology;

2) Expanding innovative care models;

3) Strengthening workforce recruitment, training and retention;

4) Supporting population-specific, evidence-based prevention and chronic disease efforts; and 5) Investing in rural health infrastructure and partnerships.

Notably, the application includes financial incentives for doctors who commit to working in rural areas, including signing bonuses and retention bonuses; funding for health care education scholarships to students who commit to serving in rural areas upon graduation; and support for physicians who train medical students or residents. These suggestions were offered by the Idaho Medical Education Working Group, a group formed in 2025 and comprised of legislators, IMA CEO Susie Keller, and other healthcare stakeholders.

According to Governor Little's press release, a budget request will go before the Legislature for federal funds approval and details about implementation will be shared as they become available.

IMA Launches "Your Care Is at Our Core" Campaign

IMA is proud to launch the Your Care Is at Our Core campaign in partnership with the American Medical Association (AMA ) to strengthen the bond between patients and their physicians, the foundation of health care.

Over the past few years, physicians have faced growing challenges ignited by battles over the COVID-19 pandemic, science- and evidence-based care, and the prevalence of mis- and dis-information. These factors have distracted from what matters most -- the connection between America's physicians and their patients.

The focal point of this campaign is messaging that highlights what drives physicians: trust, empathy, compassion and time with patients -- that their personal relationship to their patients is a priority, as well as commitment to their care. It seeks to remind patients that physicians entered the practice of medicine to be their strongest ally.

"Commitment to our patients informs everything we do as physicians," said IMA President Megan Kasper, MD. "Building these sacred relationships and understanding our patients' unique values, preferences, and goals for treatment take time, and that can be a challenge given that Idaho ranks dead last in the nation for number of physicians per 10,000 patients. We will continue to be strong advocates for evidence-based medicine, patient-centered care, and a physician workforce suitable to serve the needs of our growing communities. Our patients deserve nothing less."

Physicians are fighting alongside their patients for less bureaucracy, more time, and less legal and regulatory interference in the doctor-patient relationship. IMA will continue to amplify these efforts through the Your Care Is at Our Core campaign.

Idaho Legislature Now in Session: Medicaid Spending a Hot Topic

The Legislative session began on January 12th with Governor Brad Little's State of the State address and unveiling of his ENDURING IDAHO budget plan. In his address, Gov. Little noted that "affordability and accessibility of healthcare tops the list of concerns for Idahoans right now," and lauded the funding provided to Idaho via the Rural Health Transformation grants.

The Governor's plan to balance the state budget includes reducing funding for Medicaid expenses by $45 million by making the 4% reduction in Medicaid provider rates ongoing and reducing services by an additional $22 million. Services that could be cut include: adult dental services, home and community-based services, pharmacy benefit for adults who aren't on Medicaid expansion, adult prosthetics and orthotics, adult in-home nursing services, adult chiropractic services, adult audiology services, adult vision services, hospice services, case management support, and services for physical, occupational and speech therapy.

Gov. Little's plan stops short of repealing Medicaid expansion. Rep. Josh Tanner, R-Eagle, new co-chair of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, critiqued the Governor's budget plan with respect to Medicaid, stating "Instead of presenting real reforms, the Governor leaves behind a Medicaid budget hole based on unspecified cuts, shifting the toughest decisions to the Legislature." The legislature will again consider repealing Medicaid Expansion entirely this year.

Stay Connected with IMA Legislative Reports

Your IMA advocacy team is hard at work on the legislative priorities identified by the House of Delegates. IMA advocacy staff send out weekly Legislative Reports every Friday during the legislative session, keeping you informed on the issues that impact you. Not subscribed? Sign up HERE.

AMA Advocacy Resource Center Announces New Grant

The American Medical Association holds the State Advocacy Summit every January to help attendees advocate for more effective state level medical legislation.

The 2026 Summit focused on high priority state healthcare issues, including a panel discussion on the impacts of expiring ACA tax credits featuring Your Health Idaho's Pat Kelly. Other topics were protecting Medicaid, protecting access to vaccines, combatting harmful payor practices, preserving physician-led team-based care, prioritizing physician wellness, and more.

The Summit kicked off with a welcome address from AMA CEO John Whyte, MD, MPH, who emphasized the importance of physician alignment around the issues affecting medicine. In support of these efforts, the AMA Advocacy Resource Center is launching a new State Advocacy Accelerator Grant program to provide targeted funding to help state medical associations advance high-priority legislative efforts. This program expands upon the AMA Scope of Practice Partnership (SOPP) grants to provide direct financial support to state medical associations for specific advocacy tools and strategies addressing top priority issues as identified by the states.

Pictured above: IMA CEO Susie Keller, Your Health Idaho CEO Pat Kelly, AMA Delegate Patrice Burgess, MD