Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Highlights Health Issues in State of the State Addresses

The following highlights health issues mentioned in governors' recent state of the state addresses.

• Michigan: In her Jan. 29 speech, Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) said the state "must continue to push for accessible and affordable health care for all." Granholm added that during the state's "fiscal crisis" in 2007, "no senior, no person with a disability had their Medicaid coverage taken from them" and "no child was cut off health care." She said, "Michigan now has the highest rate of insured children" in the U.S. Granholm said that "it is becoming increasingly apparent that as the administration in Washington prepares to leave office, they are unwilling to support states, including Michigan, in providing care for those who need it." She noted that the state has "asked for federal support for [the] Michigan First Health Care Plan to expand coverage to the uninsured in Michigan" and has not received it. However, she said the state "won't stop fighting for fair treatment in Washington" in 2008, and "when a new president takes office next January," Granholm will "guarantee we'll be first in line to provide affordable, accessible health care for all Michigan citizens" (Granholm speech text, 1/29).
  
  
• New Hampshire: In his Jan. 23 speech, Gov. John Lynch (D) said the state has worked to ensure that "families have the quality care they deserve and health insurance they can afford" by passing legislation that allows dependents up to age 26 to remain covered under their parents' health insurance plans and by strengthening SCHIP. Lynch highlighted the progress made through the Citizens Health Initiative, which he hopes will make the state a "center of health care innovation" by working to publicly release information about health care costs; expand the use of electronic health records; and make New Hampshire the "first state where all our providers can prescribe medications electronically." Lynch asked for support to create New Hampshire HealthFirst, a new program that would require insurers to offer a wellness insurance plan to small businesses to help "stabilize health insurance costs for our small businesses and make it possible for more of our businesses to continue offering insurance to their workers" (Lynch speech text, 1/23).
  
  
• Tennessee: In his Jan. 28 speech, Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) said that in the midst of a budget shortfall, TennCare, the state's Medicaid program, "ran well below its budget last year" and that the state was "able to both return some appropriation to the general fund and further build TennCare reserves." Bredesen said the state is a "national leader in e-health, in the use of electronic data and communication technology to maintain and make accessible to providers a person's health records." He added that the state still has work to do in health care, specifically in long-term care. "Tennessee usually ranks dead last among the states in alternatives to nursing homes," Bredesen said, adding, "This is the year I want to fix that." He said the state is going to "fundamentally restructure how long-term care is handled" in TennCare with the Long-Term Care Community Choices Act of 2008 (Bredesen speech text, 1/28).
  
  
• Utah: In his Jan. 23 speech, Gov. Jon Huntsman (R) said state residents need "insurance plans that are affordable and portable." Huntsman added, "We cannot wait for Washington's one-size-fits-all plan that does not account for Utah's unique challenges and abilities." He continued, "Last year, I called on leaders of the business community to actively engage with advocates, health care providers and insurers to craft an approach to this growing crisis," and "we now have legislation that provides a framework for a major overhaul to our state's health care system." He added that the plan "addresses every part of the system from individual responsibility to health care accessibility." According to Huntsman, "Our approach must be consumer driven, focused on the individual and the family." He added, "This is a multiyear process, to be sure, but let us begin today" (Huntsman speech text, 1/23).