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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><a name="_Hlk111646775"></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><img width="625" height="147" style="width:6.5069in;height:1.5277in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D8B258.8CB0E8E0"></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">August 17, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><b><u><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">Idahoans to see 12-percent lower health insurance costs with approval of
key “Leading Idaho” waiver<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little announced today the State of Idaho achieved a key milestone of the “Leading Idaho” plan – approval
of the state’s innovation waiver, ensuring accessible health insurance for more Idahoans.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">“Idahoans benefited from another win from our ‘Leading Idaho’ plan today. The approval of the state’s innovation waiver is estimated
to reduce insurance premiums for individuals by about 12-percent, keeping more Idahoans insured and providing them better access to affordable healthcare,”</span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">
Governor Little said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">The U.S Department of Health & Human Services and the U.S. Department of the Treasury approved this week Idaho’s application for a Section
1332 State Innovation waiver. The state submitted the Section 1332 waiver to increase affordability of individual health insurance in Idaho. This waiver approval is effective January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2027, and it is expected to reduce individual
market health insurance premiums by 12-percent in the first year compared to premiums without the waiver.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">The waiver will be implemented primarily by the Idaho Individual High Risk Reinsurance Pool, a state reinsurance program that helps reduce
some of the insurance costs of certain serious medical conditions, thereby reducing the premiums charged to Idahoans.
</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">Governor Little recommended and the Legislature this year approved a one-time $25 million General Fund transfer to the Idaho High Risk Individual
Pool Fund to lower health insurance premiums throughout the state. </span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">The pool was created in 2000. From its inception, it has successfully paid
more than $164.6 million in claims from more than 13,000 Idahoans with serious medical conditions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">“The support of the Governor and the Legislature were critical to receiving federal approval of Idaho’s Reinsurance Pool innovation
waiver,”</span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> Idaho Department of Insurance (DOI) Director Dean Cameron said.
<b>“Thanks to their support and our staff’s efforts developing a solid waiver application, Idahoans who purchase their own health insurance will have lower premiums going forward.”</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">As part of the waiver process, legislation signed by Governor Little this year, House Bill 611, authorized the DOI to submit the waiver
application to the federal agencies and to condition the continuation of the state reinsurance program upon approval of the 1332 waiver.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">DOI also received public comment during the application process.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">The State of Idaho’s 1332 Waiver approval and fact sheet are posted online at
</span></span><a href="https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Programs-and-Initiatives/State-Innovation-Waivers/Section_1332_State_Innovation_Waivers-"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Programs-and-Initiatives/State-Innovation-Waivers/Section_1332_State_Innovation_Waivers-</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#002060">.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#002060"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"># # #</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk111646775"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
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