COEUR d'ALENE - Lawmakers are expected to introduce a bill this session to repeal the legislation that created Idaho's health insurance exchange, and four North Idaho legislators are being targeted to support it.

The Idaho Freedom Foundation has purchased six billboards in a statewide lobbying effort designed to get the attention of the legislators who supported the creation of the state health insurance exchange last year.

"I have been told that there are some legislators who may try and pass some legislation to repeal that law," said Wayne Hoffman, president of the IFF. "And some legislators will have an opportunity to reverse their decisions."

In Kootenai County, the IFF purchased a billboard on Interstate 90 near the Pleasantview interchange. It targets Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene; Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d'Alene; Rep. Ed Morse, R-Coeur d'Alene; and Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls.

All four of them voted to establish a state-run health insurance exchange, rather than letting the federal government take control of that under the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.

The billboard has all four legislators pictured beneath a headline that states: "They didn't need to implement Obamacare." Captions beside the pictures say each of them supported it. The billboard goes on to say: "Repeal the state insurance exchange in 2014."

"We warned lawmakers last year about what would happen," Hoffman said. "And we now see that it has happened."

Hoffman said the state exchange has raised healthcare premiums, compromised personal data and created opportunities for corruption.

"I have some information that some lawmakers have serious misgivings about the way they voted," Hoffman said, adding he has been meeting with legislators who voted for the health exchange.

While some of them are rethinking their votes now, Hoffman said he has not secured any commitments from any of them to support a repeal.

"But I haven't pressed them for that either," he said.

Hoffman said the billboards have nothing to do with the upcoming primary elections in May.

"This is a lobbying effort. It has nothing to do with the elections," he said. "It's about good public policy."

Henderson, who is currently on leave from the Legislature while he heals from surgery, said he has not seen the billboard, but the implication that he and others support Obamacare is "grossly inaccurate."

"The bill we supported was about state control," he said, adding that he heard the billboards were coming earlier this year.

He has been in conversations with Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley, who is the chairman of the Health and Welfare Committee. Wood told Henderson that legislation will be introduced to repeal the health insurance exchange, but supporters don't have the votes to pass the bill.

Henderson said his position on the issue hasn't changed.

"My personal opinion is that the government should not be involved in healthcare at all - not at the state and not at the federal level," he said, adding the private sector could do a better job. "That was my position last year, and I lost."

Henderson said lawmakers were in a tough spot and had to choose between the federal government running the exchange or the state government running the exchange.

Henderson voted for the state-run exchange because it allows for more local control.

Henderson said he will return to the Legislature on Jan. 27.