October 15, 2026

The 134th IMA Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates was a great success! The Delegates considered numerous resolutions and adopted IMA policy on a variety of important healthcare issues.

Outgoing IMA President Megan Kasper, MD, of Nampa, was honored with an award for her dedicated year of service.

Delegates heard special presentations from the IMA advocacy team:

• IMA Strategic Plan Update
• IMA 2026 Legislative Update

Through the generosity of meeting participants, just shy of $5,500 was raised to support the IMA Foundation, the 501c3 charitable arm of the IMA. It's not too late to contribute and it's easy! Just text the word "Donate" to 208-996-8776 to make a tax-deductible donation today.

An enormous thank you to everyone who made this meeting a success including the Delegates, the Board of Trustees, our sponsors, and IMA staff. We will see you next year in Coeur d'Alene on Oct. 8-10, 2027.

Hollie Mills, MD, Inaugurated as New IMA President

Hollie Mills, MD, of Coeur d'Alene accepted the gavel as the Idaho Medical Association's President for 2026-2027 during the IMA Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates on Oct 4.

Dr. Mills was born in Dallas, Texas and raised in Colorado. She attended medical school at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and completed her residency at the Kootenai Health Coeur d'Alene Family Medicine Residency, graduating in 2017. During residency, Dr. Mills was recruited to Ironwood Family Practice, where she has continued caring for her patients since graduation. Dr. Mills enjoys caring for patients of all ages and through every stage of life.

Dr. Mills has been involved with the IMA since 2021, initially serving as the District One Trustee. Outside of medicine, she enjoys all things outdoors, painting, reading, and spending time with her husband, family, friends, and her dog.

Dr. Mills looks forward to serving as IMA President – We wish her all the best!

HOD Election Results

In addition to the IMA President, other elections were conducted during the recently completed IMA House of Delegates.

Stacia Munn, MD, a Family Medicine physician from Boise, was elected to a one-year term as President-Elect. Dr. Munn will automatically become President in 2027.

The following physicians were elected to the IMA Board of Trustees:

• Treasurer – Megan Dunay, MD, MPH, Family Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, Boise (re-election)
• AMA Delegate – Patrice Burgess, MD, Family Medicine, Boise (re-election)

House of Delegates Resolutions Overview with Actions Taken

Reference Committee A

RES 101 - Protecting Patient Access to Timely Procedures and Surgical Care – ADOPTED

RES 102 - Promoting Value-Based Healthcare – ADOPTED

RES 103 - Kratom and Kratom-Derived Products – ADOPTED

RES 104 - New Idaho Medical Association Mission and Vision Statements – ADOPTED

RES 105 - The Impact of Federal Loans on Idaho Medical Students, Residents, and Fellows – ADOPTED

RES 106 - National Health Service Corps Scholarship and Loan Repayment Criteria to Determine Service Location to Support Rural and Underserved Communities – ADOPTED

RES 107 - Protecting Physician Autonomy and the Physician-Patient Relationship – ADOPTED

Reference Committee B

RES 201 -Telehealth Payment Parity to Support Idaho Physicians Caring for Idaho Patients – ADOPTED

RES 202 - Restoring Idaho Medicaid Reimbursement for Hospital-Based Physicians and Physicians Serving a High Proportion of Medicaid Patients – ADOPTED AS AMENDED

RES 203 - Support for Coverage, Education, and Implementation of Updated ASCCP Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines and HPV Self Collection – ADOPTED

RES 204 - Improving Safe and Equitable Access to Medical Diagnostic Equipment for Patients with Disabilities – REFERRED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

RES 205 - Supporting Community Paramedicine and Mobile Integrated Healthcare to Improve Rural Access and Patient Safety – ADOPTED AS AMENDED

RES 206 - Improving Rural Access Through Statewide Physician E-Consult Networks – REFERRED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

RES 207 - Honoring Christine Hahn, MD, for Decades of Service, Leadership, and Dedication to Public Health in Idaho – ADOPTED

Resolution Prioritization Survey

As a means to provide guidance to the IMA Board of Trustees on the management of 2026 -2027 IMA issues as adopted by the House of Delegates, please complete the IMA Resolution Prioritization Survey linked below by October 30, 2026. If you have any questions, please contact IMA CEO Susie Keller at susie@idmed.org.

Welcome News for Idaho Physicians and Patients!

Blue Cross of Idaho Rescinds Medicare Advantage Referral Requirements

Blue Cross of Idaho (BCI) is removing PCP referral requirements for Medicare Advantage Members seeking in-network specialty care, effective October 15, 2026, through the 2027 plan year. After the considerable time and resources practices have spent implementing these requirements, this change responds to provider and member feedback. Practices should review their referral workflows, keeping in mind that office-specific referral policies and requirements for out-of-network services and applicable gap exceptions still apply.

An October 12, 2026 Provider Alert from BCI states:

We appreciate the significant effort providers and their staff have invested throughout 2026 to implement, manage and comply with MA referral requirements. Your partnership, feedback and commitment to supporting our members helped inform this decision. Thank you for your flexibility, collaboration and dedication to providing high-quality care. Blue Cross of Idaho will continue to evaluate referral management as part of our ongoing efforts to balance member experience, access to care and care coordination...We appreciate your continued partnership and commitment to delivering exceptional care to our MA members.

For details on the updated BCI Medicare Advantage Referral Requirements, CLICK HERE.

Proposition One: Educational Guide for IMA Members

What the Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act says – and does not say

IMA Official Position on Proposition 1

This policy was adopted by the IMA Board of Trustees (BOT) and affirmed by the House of Delegates in 2025:

IMA will remain neutral on the Idahoans United for Women & Families abortion ballot initiative, while providing educational updates to members and encouraging individual members to engage in the process as they see fit.

To read the BOT's rationale for adopting this policy, CLICK HERE.

In accordance with our adopted policy, IMA is providing this educational overview to help members understand the measure's clinical and legal language. IMA does not endorse or oppose Proposition 1, and members should make their own voting decisions. Idaho voters will consider the Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act at the November General Election. The measure would create a statutory right to reproductive freedom and privacy, covering decisions about abortion, childbirth care, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care, and prenatal, pregnancy, and postpartum care.

As the November 3 election approaches, questions have arisen about three provisions of the measure. The following overview examines their language and potential implications.

Fetal Viability

Proposition 1 provides the following definition:

"Fetal viability" means the point in a pregnancy when, on the basis of a physician's good faith medical judgment, based on the facts known at the time, and determined on a case-by-case basis, the fetus has a significant likelihood of sustained survival outside of the uterus without extraordinary medical measures.

Fetal viability is commonly understood to be in the 20-24 weeks range of pregnancy. Proposition 1 allows abortion before fetal viability but does not establish a general right to abortion after viability. After fetal viability, the state may regulate abortion, subject to an exception for medical emergencies.

Proposition 1 provides the following definition:

"Medical emergency" means a physical medical condition that, on the basis of a physician's good faith medical judgment, based on the facts known at the time, and determined on a case-by-case basis, complicates the medical condition of a pregnant patient as to warrant an abortion:

i. To protect a pregnant patient's life; or

ii. For which a delay may:

• Place the health of a pregnant patient in serious jeopardy;
• Cause serious impairment to a bodily function of a pregnant patient; or
• Cause serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part of a pregnant patient's body.

Parental Consent

Current Idaho law specifically requires written consent from a parent, guardian, or conservator before an abortion may be performed on an unemancipated minor. It includes a confidential judicial-bypass process and exceptions for specified circumstances, including medical emergencies.

Proposition 1 does not expressly repeal the parental consent statute. It also does not expressly preserve it. The initiative states that "every person" has the protected right, applies notwithstanding contrary law, restricts state interference unless it satisfies the measure's standard, and directs that its provisions be construed in favor of reproductive freedom and privacy.

It would be too categorical to say either that Proposition 1 unquestionably eliminates parental consent or that it unquestionably leaves the existing requirement untouched. IMA's interpretation is that the specificity of the current parental consent law would likely override the general provisions of Proposition 1. If the measure passes, the relationship between its protections and existing parental consent laws could require legislative clarification or judicial interpretation.

Gender Transition Care for Minors

The initiative does not mention gender identity, gender transition treatment, puberty blockers, hormone therapy, or transition-related surgery. It's stated subject is reproductive health care, and its examples concern pregnancy, abortion, childbirth, contraception, fertility, miscarriage, and related care.

Similar language regarding reproductive freedom exists in dozens of states across the country, and IMA is not aware of a single instance in which these laws have been construed to provide gender affirming care for minors.

Key Takeaways for IMA Members

• Proposition 1 is broader than an abortion-only measure; it protects multiple forms of reproductive health care.
• It protects abortion before fetal viability and permits state regulation afterward, subject to a medical emergency exception.
• Viability is determined case by case through a physician's good-faith medical judgment.
• The text does not expressly authorize gender transition care for minors.
• The effect on existing parental-consent requirements is a legitimate legal question, not a settled fact stated in the initiative. IMA's interpretation is that the specificity of the current law would likely prevail.
• Members evaluating public claims should distinguish among the initiative's express language, reasonable questions about how that language may interact with existing statutes, and predictions about future litigation.