Meanwhile, in Illinois a “state task force on Thursday recommended a far-reaching reform of Illinois’ health care system that would require most employers to offer medical coverage and calls for $3.6 billion in new state spending. The plan also recommends an “individual mandate,” which would require every state resident to obtain health insurance or pay a penalty. People who make less than 400% of the federal poverty line would qualify for some state subsidies. For an individual, 400% of the poverty line is currently $39,200. The proposal comes from a 29-member panel created through a 2004 law that set as Illinois’ official policy `to insure that all residents have access to quality health care.’ The task force, appointed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the four legislative leaders, will report its recommendations to the General Assembly in January.” Click here for the Chicago Business report.
Finally, from California, Kaiser’s George Halvorson and colleagues present a universal coverage plan for California – “We describe several subsidized benefit options for low-income uninsured Californians, emphasizing preventive and primary care, and we propose catastrophic coverage, at a minimum, for higher-income uninsured Californians. Proposed financing mechanisms include a health care sales tax and an “in-lieu” payroll tax” – that looks strikingly inspired by the Massachusetts plan – though with a much heftier payroll tax on employers that don’t provide health coverage to their workers. Click here for the Health Affairs web article.
Each plan contains – individual and employer mandates along with subsidized coverage for uninsured with incomes below 300% fpl. Each plan acknowledges inspiration from the MA reform law. And each costs big new bucks.
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One Response/Comment
1. working nurse Says:
December 13th, 2006 at 6:11 pmHello???
“Each plan acknowledges inspiration from the MA reform law. And each costs big new bucks.”
The MA reform law is deeply deeply flawed. It is flawed in the wasteful cost-shifting financing mechanism policy it contains, and more importantly, it is grievously flawed in that it pushes health care further in the direction of being treated as a commodity to be sold in the commercial marketplace, rather than treating it as a public good. True universal health reform must be premised on a model of social insurance, not a model of for-profit sales.
This is why knowledgable health reform experts and activists in the states of NJ, CA, and IL have pleaded “Please help us stop the Massachusetts poison from spreading to our state.”.
The Mass. law rewards the wealthy power brokers who dominate the state’s insurance-medical-industrial complex at the expense of the people of the Commonwealth. Other MUCH MORE sensible and affordable reform plans do exist. The CA legislature passed a universal coverage bill this summer that would use a streamlined financing mechanism and a social insurance model. Gov Terminator vetoed it. The demand for affordable, sustainable helath coverage is building in CA and here in MA and will not be stopped. The Chap 58 law is but an expensive wasteful tragic detour.
Learn more and join the movement for health care justice [and sensible affordable reforms] at http://www.MassCare…. and http://www.OneCareNo… make sure you watch the new and incredible YouTube video at this link.
We can only hope that Deval Patrick and his new administration will promptly chart a course to put the state on track toward more sensible, affordable, and person and community-centered health care reform.
