Cameron: Hoffman backed state-based exchange two years ago; Hoffman doesn’t recall

Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, co-chairman of the Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, had a question for Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation chief and opponent of the governor’s health exchange bill: Cameron said two years ago, JFAC “passed a bill to try to get ahead of what we saw coming,” and he had a conversation with Hoffman outside his office in the state Capitol. “You indicated, because at that time we thought we’d be forced to have a federal exchange … that you would support a state-based, state-run exchange, but opposed a federal exchange. In fact, I think your words were, ‘Dean, if you’ll pull that back, we will not stand in the way of a state-based exchange.’ What’s changed in those two years? What’s caused your change in position from what you shared with me two years ago ‘til recently?”

Hoffman responded, “I don’t recall that, quite candidly. It’s been a couple years and I’m getting older and grayer. I think we’ve been very consistently opposed to a state insurance exchange.”