Budget cut fallout: After Idaho cut a critical Medicaid mental health service, two patients died

By: Kyle Pfannenstiel

Outlets: Idaho Capital Sun

Published: February 10, 2026

Words: 1,669

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 2 days ago

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Two months after an Idaho Medicaid contractor cut critical mental health services, officials say the fallout that mental health providers warned about is becoming real.

Two patients died, and crisis centers and jails are strained after patients lost access to a program that brings mobile, specialized mental health care directly to people with severe illness, mental health providers say.

Across eastern Idaho, crisis centers are seeing demand spike after the cuts, which also ended …

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