The Idaho Legislature needs more Mark Sauters

By William M. Woodhouse
Reader Contributor

A vote to re-elect Mark Sauter as Representative for District 1 House Seat A will support women’s health and access to health care services in rural Idaho. He is driven by his commitment to represent his constituents. When Bonner General Health’s Labor and Delivery Services closed in 2023, he spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives regarding the impact of this closure. Mark Sauter is a courageous leader who routinely makes politically difficult votes because it is the right policy for his constituents.

Reinstatement of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC)

William M. Woodhouse. File photo.

MMRCs are groups organized at the state level and tasked with reviewing the maternal deaths that transpire during or within one year of the pregnancy. MMRCs work to analyze the data in a thorough and comprehensive manner and make a number of recommendations, including how those deaths can be avoided. In 2023, Idaho became the only state in the nation without an MMRC, as the committee that was previously in place was sunset. Thanks to the support of Rep. Sauter, in 2024 the MMRC was reinstated when H.B. 399 was passed and signed into law. 

12-month extension of Medicaid postpartum coverage

In 2021, the MMRC provided a key recommendation to combat maternal deaths — extend Medicaid postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months. Postpartum extension removes barriers for new mothers and has been found to improve maternal mortality in other states. In March 2024, with Rep. Sauter’s support, this recommendation became law (H.B. 633). 

Six-month prescription contraception

Prior to July 1, 2024, consumers could only access contraception for up to three months — a frustration that has been long shared by both physicians and patients. For more than a decade, there have been attempts to require insurance companies to increase coverage duration, ultimately saving patients money on routine appointments. Thanks to the vocal support of Rep. Sauter, S.B. 1234 was signed into law, extending coverage for up to six months.

 House Bill 374

Entering the 2023 legislative session, there was a lot of confusion among physicians as it related to Idaho’s abortion laws. While confusion remains, Rep. Sauter actively supported H.B. 374, which provided exceptions for ectopic or molar pregnancy, removal of a dead unborn child and treatment of a woman who is no longer pregnant. H.B. 374 provided a pathway for victims of rape and incest to obtain a redacted police report within 72 hours, while also removing the affirmative defense or “guilty until proven innocent” standard that physicians were held to.

Medical residency funding

The state of Idaho ranks next-to-last in physicians per capita. This especially impacts Idaho’s rural areas, like District 1. Where a physician does their residency training after medical school is a strong predictor of where they will practice. On behalf of his constituents, Rep. Sauter has supported funding of Idaho’s Statewide Graduate Medical Education Strategic Plan, which supports Idaho-based residency training of family physicians, psychiatrists and general internists.

From the perspective of a longtime Idaho family physician, health policy advocate and educator, I strongly urge you to vote for Mark Sauter.

William M. Woodhouse, M.D., is past-president of the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians and past-president of the Idaho Medical Association.