Idaho Gov. Butch Otter says he’s signing an executive order “restoring choice in health insurance for Idahoans.”

“We’ve had some great innovations and some great discussions with insurance companies in Idaho about products, if they weren’t limited by the mandates, if they weren’t limited by the things that they have to offer in an insurance policy, these companies could drastically reduce maybe as much as 30 to 50 percent the cost of those insurance policies to folks who access the private insurance companies for themselves,” Otter said. Under the plan, the state would still maintain seven requirements. “But when the mandate was lifted … that freed us up to do a lot of things,” he said.

He said he and Lt. Gov. Brad Little will be touring the state to acquaint Idahoans with the plan, and “answering the questions that folks will have.”

Little said, “This is really a critical thing for Idahoans. I, like many Idahoans, have friends and relatives that have been forced to drop their health care because of the cost.” Eight years ago, he said, the state had some of the most affordable health insurance rates in the country. Then, with the advent of what Little dubbed “the Obamacare experiment,” he said, “It spiked the cost particularly to families and small businesses and left many without coverage.”

Little said last year, Idaho’s insurance rates went up 28 percent. “Today Idaho is going to boldly take back our leadership that we had before in health care,” Little declared.

State Insurance Director Dean Cameron said, “We believe that rates can be 30 to 50 percent lower, and products can be available as early as March.”

It’s not the full solution, he said, and the state also will be pursuing waivers from the federal government for additional changes.

“We were once some of the lowest rates in the nation,” Cameron said. “Now we’re not even the lowest rates in the Northwest.” He said, “Ultimately the option of wait and see is no longer acceptable. The no-action plan ... is too costly for Idahoans.”