Otter defends Idaho health insurance move, Little’s role as questions swirl in Congress
The order, signed by Otter and Little in front of reporters
Idahoans got a first look at what that means Wednesday, when
At a
Sen.
"I don't want to prematurely be involved before there's even a matter in controversy at the state level," said Azar, who noted he had read media reports but had not looked at
Otter brushed off questions about Azar's comments at a Thursday morning forum organized by the
And Otter again rebuffed any suggestion that the rollout of the executive order veered improperly into Little's election campaign. The lieutenant governor is running to replace Otter; the current governor has endorsed him, and Otter said Thursday that "frankly, I'm stumping for the lieutenant governor all the time."
After the public signing, the pair toured the state to defend and explain the health insurance order -- necessary, Otter said, because of immediate criticisms and confusion over the plans. Meanwhile, Little has posted on social media and written in guest columns about "ending Obamacare for many Idahoans."
An email obtained by The Associated Press shows
"Remember I have statutory prohibition about being involved in elections," Cameron wrote, according to the AP. "It is frustrating to me but I have to be careful about my appearances with candidates and I do not want the good efforts of tomorrow to get side tracked by opponents."
Otter argued Thursday that only "opponents and folks in the media" have questioned Little's role. He described the process that led to the order, starting in spring 2017 as
"We knew what repeal meant. We didn't know what replace meant," Otter said. "We put together a task force ... If we were king for a day, what would we like to see?"
Little was a member of Otter's task force from the start, the governor said. But his role grew last summer, when a postsurgery infection took Otter out of the office for five weeks.
"He was part of all the study," Otter said. "He was part of all the testimony."
Little was traveling Thursday and could not be directly reached. But
Bilbao said Little led the insurance effort for four months amid Otter's extended recovery.
"The plan is as much his as it is the governor's," she wrote in an email.
Otter compared the situation to a past round of the early-January preview forum at which Sen.
"Nobody suggested that was a campaign, and they were both campaigning for office again. ... I'm sorry if people took it otherwise," the governor said, returning back to Little. "I can't help that."
Gearing for lawsuits
Not everyone is rushing to create the new plans in
In an email to the Statesman on Thursday, a spokesman for
"The Affordable Care Act is still valid law, and we do not see how the guidance contained in the
Most health care experts quoted in recent national reports have said they believe the plans and framework are illegal and will attract lawsuits.
He said the Obama administration basically allowed health plans to violate the ACA's rules on annual limits for a couple of early years, though that process was done through a waiver.
And, he noted possible political danger in blocking
"The sensible thing is to get the waiver done, get the program up, then deal with the protest movements," Epstein said.
Otter and Little, meanwhile, appear unconcerned about any possible action against the state.
Otter said he wasn't sure how the state government would factor into a lawsuit when the insurers are the ones actually selling the plans. "The insurance companies are the ones that get sued, not
And Little? "Lt.
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