Committee sends repeal of obsolete small‑employer reinsurance program to the House floor

The House Business Committee voted to send House Bill 116 to the House floor with a "do pass" recommendation to repeal an obsolete small‑employer reinsurance program.

Representative Rod Furnas, sponsor of the bill, said the program — established in 1993 as the Bridal Small Employer Health Insurance Availability Act — once helped small employers obtain coverage by pooling risk for large claims but has been superseded by the Affordable Care Act. "We haven't had any claimants on this small group pool since 02/2016," Furnas said, and the program still requires an annual audit even though few or no participants remain.

Dean Cameron, director of the Idaho Department of Insurance, supported the repeal and told the committee the program "worked for a period of time" but is no longer needed. Cameron said the repeal is part of an effort to clean up statutes and remove obsolete regulations.

Representative Birch asked whether Medicaid expansion would affect the rationale for repeal; Cameron clarified that Medicaid expansion concerns individuals while the reinsurance program focused on small employers, and therefore repeal would not depend on the state's Medicaid policy.

With no public testimony registered, Representative Wheeler moved to send HB 116 to the floor with a do‑pass recommendation. The committee approved the motion by voice vote.

Under the bill as presented, referenced statutory locations include chapter citations cited by the sponsor (chapter "22, 40 7, 50 7, and 55" as read into the record). The committee record shows no registered opposition at the hearing and the Department of Insurance indicated support for the repeal.