Though the task force’s emphasis is wide-reaching, the focus of Tuesday’s meeting was an ongoing contract dispute that has resulted in several thousand Idahoans losing coverage at Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, one of the few major medical facilities in eastern Idaho. The issue came to a head in June when Portneuf Medical Center announced an existing agreement with Regence BlueShield of Idaho, the medical plan administrator for Idaho state employees, was set to expire. This amounts to about 5% of the 65,000 Idahoans covered by the state’s health insurance plan being impacted. Knowlton underscored that having to seek treatment elsewhere, especially in a region with limited facilities offering equivalent resources, presented a “huge burden” for affected individuals. Portneuf Health previously issued a statement saying outstanding issues stem from Regence denying “a substantial portion of claims for care” with “millions of dollars in unpaid claims owed to Portneuf.”