Neither the House nor the U.S. Senate in Washington D.C. have yet taken a vote on the variety of bills designed to reform the nation’s health care system. But a joint legislative Task Force in Boise is already reviewing the pros and cons of Idaho opting out of federal health care reform. Don Wimberly has more.

The Legislature’s Health Care Task Force is asking three questions: Should Idaho opt-in or opt-out, Should Idaho amend it’s constitution to limit a public option; and finally…What should be done for health care reform in Idaho?

David Irwin with the Idaho Chapter of AARP told the Task Force members Idaho is on a crash course for health care disaster.

Irwin: “A public option funded by premiums could allow Idaho's growing ranks of the unisured and those hundreds of thousands more struggling with soaring healthcare costs a viable and affordable option. Op-in-out could have unintended consequences”

Irwin warned opting out could reduce or cut federal aid for the uninsured. Scot Leavitt with the Idaho Association of Health Underwriters warned no one really knows what the final health reform bill will look like.

Leavitt: “But if you kinda look at the provision it doesn't really state that you opt-in or opt-out. You take what you get with reform or you opt-out with something that is as comprehensive and can actually produce better results. So It's not the fact of doing nothing, it's you have a lot of work to do if you do opt-out by 2015

Nearly every industry representative and reform advocate told the Health Care Task Force it’s too early to decide whether Idaho should opt out of a federal health reform package. The Health Care Task Force is expected to review the issue again when it meets in Boise November 30th.

Copyright 2009 Boise State Radio

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