Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Highlights Health Coverage Expansion Efforts in Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota
Summaries of recent news about states' efforts to expand health coverage appear below.
- Connecticut: The Connecticut House on Wednesday voted 102-43 to approve legislation that would allow small businesses with up to 50 employees, municipality workers and not-for-profit group staff to join the state's high-risk health insurance pool, the Hartford Courant reports. The measure now moves to the state Senate. Opponents of the bill say it could jeopardize an estimated $54 million in savings that the state expects to receive under current contracts with insurers who provide coverage in the pool. Two of the three insurers who bid on the contracts said if the bill becomes law they would need to recalculate their bids to account for higher enrollment. Robert Genuario, budget director for Gov. Jodi Rell's (R) administration, in a letter to state lawmakers wrote, "While this bill has been touted as saving significant dollars for municipalities, our research indicates that is not the case," adding, "Thus, if passage of the bill will cost the state money and there is little or no savings for municipalities, the bill should not be acted upon." Rell's office did not comment on a possible veto of the bill (Keating, Hartford Courant, 4/24).
- Illinois: The administration of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) on Wednesday appealed a temporary injunction that was issued last week by Cook County Judge James Epstein to block an expansion of FamilyCare, the Chicago Tribune reports. An Illinois appellate court will decide whether Blagojevich has the authority to expand the program to subsidize coverage for 147,000 parents and caretakers. The expansion plan was denied twice by a state panel, and lawmakers did not include the expansion in the state's budget. The administration continued with the expansion and was sued by business groups that claimed Blagojevich has overstepped his authority (Chicago Tribune, 4/24).
- Minnesota: MinnPost last week examined health care legislation approved by the Minnesota state Senate and House that aims to reduce the number of uninsured state residents and health care spending by 20%, and improve quality of care. The plan, based on the recommendation of two bipartisan commissions appointed last year by Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R), would decrease Minnesota's uninsured rate by 50% by 2011 and provide coverage to 133,000 people. It would also reduce insurance costs for middle-income families. However, Pawlenty could "may find himself in the dicey position of vetoing a reform he called for" because it would require spending $270 million over the next three years from the state Health Care Access fund -- money Pawlenty has also proposed using to address the state's $1 billion budget deficit. The bill is now in conference committee. MinnPost examined details of the proposal, including changes in the way providers are paid and safeguards to prevent insurers from "cherry picking" the healthiest patients (Hawkins, MinnPost, 4/17).
