Government
Calif., Conn. governors offer universal health coverage plans
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 22, 2007
A trend in the making has reached both coasts as two more governors have offered universal health insurance programs.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan calls for mandatory insurance purchasing with graduated rates; incentives for healthy lifestyles; increased reimbursements for Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program; and increasing Medi-Cal's eligibility to poor adults. Employers with 10 or more employees not offering insurance will contribute 4% of their payroll toward the cost of employees' health coverage. Companies with fewer than 10 employees are exempt.
In exchange for increasing payments to doctors and hospitals by at least $10 billion, physicians will pay 2% of revenues and hospitals 4% of revenues back to universal coverage.
Conn. Gov. M. Jodi Rell's "Charter Oak Plan" calls for a partnership between the state and private insurance companies to develop health insurance costing less than $250 a month for adults ages 19 to 64. Rell also announced the state's Healthcare for Uninsured Kids and Youth will waive program fees for newborns for their first two months. The program covers uninsured children younger than 19 with sliding scale fees based on income.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/01/22/gvbf0122.htm.