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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><img width="624" height="147" style="width:6.5in;height:1.5312in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D64892.784D1130"></span></b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">June 22, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">Gov. Little cuts more red tape, preserves recent healthcare advances moving forward<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Boise, Idaho – Idaho’s unprecedented advances in telehealth and healthcare access this year will be preserved long after COVID-19 with a new executive order Governor Brad Little signed today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">“Our loosening of healthcare rules since March helped to increase the use of telehealth services, made licensing easier, and strengthened the capacity of our healthcare workforce – all necessary
to help our citizens during the global pandemic. We proved we could do it without compromising safety. Now it’s time to make those healthcare advances permanent moving forward,”</span></b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""> Governor Little said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Within days of Idaho's first confirmed coronavirus case in March, Governor Little directed all state agencies to examine their rules, placing specific emphasis on increasing the state’s healthcare
provider capacity and reducing barriers to healthcare access for Idaho citizens.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">The result was more than 150 rules were waived temporarily.
<a href="https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/74/2020/06/eo-2020-13.pdf">
Executive Order 2020-13</a> signed today takes steps to make the rule waivers permanent by asking the agencies to finalize the rule changes for presentation to the Idaho Legislature in January of 2021.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">“By suspending certain rules during the pandemic – such as allowing the use of Zoom, Facetime and other applications and making it easier for providers to offer telehealth services – we’ve been
able to address the critical shortage of medical providers in every county in the state. This serves to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for Idaho families and businesses,”</span></b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""> Governor Little added.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">In telehealth, which allows for long-distance care via telecommunication rather than in-person care, Idaho went from 3,000 sessions during March through May last year to a staggering 117,000 sessions
during the same time period this year – a 40-fold increase. Private insurers also took steps to increase the accessibility of telehealth services.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Governor Little also highlighted an executive order he signed earlier this month to shrink the size of state government.
</span><a href="https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/74/2020/06/eo-2020-10.pdf"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Executive Order 2020-10</span></a><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""> consolidated 11 separate agencies into the new Division
of Occupational and Professional Licenses, a move that will lead to efficiencies and result in better service at a lower cost for Idaho license holders.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">The executive orders ensure Idaho keeps its status as the least regulated state in the country – a title Idaho achieved by working with legislators, agencies, and the public during Governor Little’s
first year as governor. Idaho cut and simplified 75-percent of rules in a matter of months.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">And with Governor Little’s Zero-Based Regulation executive order earlier this year, which forces a routine review of rule chapters annually, Idaho regulations will remain streamlined, user-friendly,
and easy to understand moving forward.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">“When we reduce regulatory friction, good jobs follow – something we need now more than ever before,”</span></b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""> Governor Little said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""># # #<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison Hyer, Press Secretary<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">208-943-1686 or </span>
<a href="mailto:marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov</span></a><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">--<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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