{"id":12756,"date":"2012-11-05T17:24:53","date_gmt":"2012-11-06T00:24:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/?p=12756"},"modified":"2012-11-05T23:19:18","modified_gmt":"2012-11-06T06:19:18","slug":"gov-otter-to-weigh-conflicting-messages-in-health-insurance-exchange-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/11\/05\/gov-otter-to-weigh-conflicting-messages-in-health-insurance-exchange-decision\/","title":{"rendered":"Gov. Otter To Weigh Conflicting Messages In Health Insurance Exchange Decision"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_3863\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Gov. C.L. &quot;Butch&quot; Otter, delivering his State of the State address early this year\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/01\/1-17-Gov.-Otter.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3863\" title=\"Gov. C.L. &quot;Butch&quot; Otter gave his address from the floor of the Idaho Senate.\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/01\/1-17-Gov.-Otter-300x270.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/01\/1-17-Gov.-Otter-300x270.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/01\/1-17-Gov.-Otter-220x198.jpg 220w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/01\/1-17-Gov.-Otter.jpg 410w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Darin Oswald \/ Idaho Statesman<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gov. C.L. &quot;Butch&quot; Otter, delivering his State of the State address early this year<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It&#8217;s been a significant policy question for a year now: Will Idaho create a state-based <a title=\"Idaho\u2019s Health Insurance Exchange Debate\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/topic\/health-insurance-exchange-2\/\" target=\"_blank\">health insurance exchange<\/a>?\u00a0 With hours remaining until Election Day, it&#8217;s a safe bet that Gov. C.L. &#8220;Butch&#8221; Otter will not make his call before the presidential vote tally is in.<\/p>\n<p>When the governor does sit down to make his decision, he&#8217;ll consult his Health Insurance Exchange Working Group&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.doi.idaho.gov\/HealthExchange\/Final_report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">findings and recommendations<\/a>, which were delivered last week.\u00a0 It&#8217;s a document that contains conflicting views about the state&#8217;s options.\u00a0 <!--more--><\/p>\n<p>For example, consulting group KPMG puts the cost of implementing a state-based exchange at $77 million, while Utah-based consulting firm Leavitt Partners estimates the cost at $25 to $30 million.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content alignright\"><h4 class=\"related-header\">Related<\/h4><div class=\"links\"><h5>Posts<\/h5><ul><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/31\/fear-of-rising-health-care-costs-drives-health-exchange-recommendation\/\">Fear Of Rising Health Insurance Costs Drives Health Exchange Recommendation<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/26\/idahos-health-insurance-exchange-group-makes-recommendation-decision-now-rests-with-gov-otter\/\">Idaho&#8217;s Health Insurance Exchange Group Makes Recommendation; Decision Now Rests With Gov. Otter<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/09\/another-expert-tells-stakeholders-idaho-has-run-out-of-time-to-build-health-insurance-exchange\/\">Another Expert Tells Stakeholders Idaho Has Run Out Of Time To Build Health Insurance Exchange<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/08\/30\/idaho-health-exchange-group-hears-from-prominent-foes-of-the-federal-health-care-law\/\">Idaho Health Exchange Group Hears From Prominent Foes Of The Federal Health Care Law<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/07\/10\/gov-otter-favors-further-study-of-health-care-decision\/\">Gov. Otter Favors &#8220;Further Study&#8221; Of Health Care Decision<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/06\/29\/supreme-court-ruling-means-decisions-ahead-for-idaho-lawmakers\/\">Supreme Court Ruling Means Decisions Ahead For Idaho Lawmakers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"topics\"><h5>Topics<\/h5><p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/files\/2012\/06\/CapitolDome_ARTSY_ERS.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/topic\/health-insurance-exchange-2\/\">Idaho&#8217;s Health Insurance Exchange Debate<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.doi.idaho.gov\/HealthExchange\/HealthExchange.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">findings<\/a> also contain contradictory information about the feasibility of creating a state-based exchange by October 2013, the date by which states must demonstrate that their exchanges are functional.\u00a0 Work group members write that the October deadline &#8220;seems extremely challenging at this point.&#8221;\u00a0 KPMG lists the state-based exchange&#8217;s probability of success as &#8220;very low.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Leavitt Partners, however, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.doi.idaho.gov\/HealthExchange\/Leavitt_presentation.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">stresses that Idaho <em>can<\/em> create its own exchange<\/a> by acting quickly, and by building on work already done by other states and private exchanges, rather than creating an exchange from the ground up.<\/p>\n<p>Work group member Zelda Geyer-Silvia, the Chief Operating Officer of Blue Cross of Idaho, says that argument carried weight with the governor&#8217;s panel.\u00a0 &#8220;In Idaho, we try to keep things simple,&#8221; she says.\u00a0 &#8220;Some of the consultants, particularly KPMG, were basing their analysis on innovator states where they&#8217;re trying to do very different things.\u00a0 But you can start more simply, rather than trying to do all of the complex processes on day one.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Gov. Otter&#8217;s press secretary, Jon Hanian, says the governor will make a decision by<del><\/del> Nov. 16<del><\/del><del><\/del>.\u00a0 That&#8217;s the deadline by which states planning to implement state-based exchanges are supposed to submit <a href=\"http:\/\/healthreform.kff.org\/document-finder\/cciio-draft-blueprint-for-approval-of-state-based-and-state-partnership-insurance-exchanges.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">blueprints<\/a> to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When the governor issues his decision it will be about whether he will embrace that recommendation, reject it, or come up with something different,&#8221; Hanian says.<\/p>\n<h3>Background<\/h3>\n<p>Health insurance exchanges are a key component of the Affordable Care Act, often called &#8220;Obamacare.&#8221; They&#8217;re most often described as online marketplaces that let consumers compare and purchase health insurance.<\/p>\n<p>A number of groups convened to study the issue have recommended that Idaho <a title=\"Idaho\u2019s Health Insurance Exchange Group Makes Recommendation; Decision Now Rests With Gov. Otter\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/2012\/10\/26\/idahos-health-insurance-exchange-group-makes-recommendation-decision-now-rests-with-gov-otter\/\" target=\"_blank\">pursue a state-based exchange<\/a>.\u00a0 It&#8217;s the best way for the state to maintain control of its own health insurance market, they&#8217;ve concluded.\u00a0 But there remains a not insignificant contingent that favors inaction in hopes of undermining the Affordable Care Act.<\/p>\n<p>That view was perhaps most powerfully represented by House Speaker Lawerence Denney (R-Midvale) and House Majority Leader Mike Moyle (R-Starr), who issued a <a href=\"http:\/\/magicvalley.com\/blogs\/capitol-confidential\/denney-moyle-encourage-idaho-to-not-implement-affordable-care-act\/article_6aaa3422-cb9a-11e1-a311-001a4bcf887a.html\" target=\"_blank\">joint statement<\/a> in July, calling for Idaho to &#8220;resist Obamacare.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Reached today, Rep. Moyle questioned whether Gov. Otter can, in fact, issue an executive order determining, for example, that Idaho will pursue a state-based exchange.\u00a0 &#8220;My understanding is that, in order to do it, there&#8217;s going to be statute involved,&#8221; Moyle says.<\/p>\n<p>Gov. Otter&#8217;s chief of staff, David Hensley, and Idaho Department of Insurance Director Bill Deal could not be reached for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s been a significant policy question for a year now: Will Idaho create a state-based health insurance exchange?\u00a0 With hours remaining until Election Day, it&#8217;s a safe bet that Gov. C.L. &#8220;Butch&#8221; Otter will not make his call before the presidential vote tally is in. When the governor does sit down to make his decision, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":3863,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15],"tags":[235,119],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12756"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12756"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12756\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12779,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12756\/revisions\/12779"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3863"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/idaho\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}