Posted on 12/26/2006 5:11:15 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
The national spotlight shone on Maine's universal health-care access program when it was launched two years ago. Now Maine is being joined by Massachusetts, Vermont and a number of other states looking at health-care overhaul.
Laura Tobler, a health-policy analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver, said she has never seen so much health-care overhaul activity bubbling on the horizon as now. While Massachusetts and Vermont have created overhauls that will be implemented in 2007, other states appear poised to create revisions of their own in the year ahead, she said.
"California, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Colorado and New Mexico are all states that have momentum this coming year," she said. "And that's just off the top of my head. That doesn't mean in January there won't be several more states with plans for comprehensive health-care reform."
Maine's Dirigo Health Reform Act drew national attention when it was signed into law in 2003, making Maine the first state in recent years to enact legislation aimed at providing universal health-care access.
The law, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2005, is designed to contain health-care costs and ensure access for all. When it passed in the Legislature, its goal was to insure 31,000 people in its first year and to cover all of the state's 130,000 uninsured by 2009.
The program has fallen short of its goals -- 12,153 were enrolled in the Dirigo Choice health-insurance program at the end of October -- and was placed under review this year by a commission representing business, insurers, consumers, labor and the state.
This year, Massachusetts has drawn attention with legislation passed in April to reorganize its health-care insurance markets and subsidy system. The aim is to reduce the number of uninsured covered by the government, while expanding the ranks of those who insure themselves through private programs. The new law affects an estimated 500,000 or more people and makes Massachusetts the first state to mandate near universal health coverage.
Vermont's Catamount Health, passed last May, is a state-subsidized program designed to help people without insurance buy it on their own in the private marketplace. It goes into effect in October.
Other states appear ready to jump on the bandwagon, said Chris Conover, a professor in the Center for Health Policy at Duke University. In particular, they look to Massachusetts' example and wonder if it can be duplicated. "I think there are aggressive governors who say, 'Why can't we do that?' " Mr. Conover said.
Ed Haislmaier, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, speaks to groups nationwide about what's going on in Massachusetts. He gets the occasional question about Maine's Dirigo Health and other programs in New York and Maryland, he says, but most of the interest is in Massachusetts. States are interested in health-care overhaul because growing costs are eating up state budgets, but the challenge is substantial because each state has a unique set of factors, he said.
Some states' biggest concerns, for example, are their large numbers of immigrants, while others might have to address rural needs, lack of competition among hospitals or health-insurance companies, or complex regulatory systems. The longer he studies the subject, said Mr. Haislmaier, the more convinced he is that states have to customize revisions to their particular needs.
In Maine, the commission began looking at Dirigo in July to explore how to cover more people, fund the program and contain costs, among other things. Last week, the commission approved a set of recommendations that includes looking into the idea of mandated employer group coverage for workers and requirements for individuals above certain income levels to get coverage for themselves. The commission also expressed support for new taxes to expand the program.
I'm not in favor of universal health care, but if we're going to get screwed it might as well be funded by a portion of a state's sales tax, which would go into a pool and residents can sign up with any participating health insurance company at lower prices.
Governor Doyle is against using the sales tax to fund schools, but I think you just gave him a great idea! ;)
Do you know off the top of your head what the Sales Tax funds already?
I guess I will catch hell for this one,but, Maine and vermont dont have the citizens that cause a problem with health care. I dont think it will work in massachusetts because they Do have many of the problem children
Maine and Vermont dont have that many poor white and poor blacks and illegals immigrants who will kill the healthcare program. They have fairly well to do citizens mostly white who dont go to hospitals for a head cold instaed of going to a doctor.
It may actually work in Maine and Vermont.
I think that makes sense. That's why "universal health care" will kill us all. One size does NOT fit all.
Look at any southwestern state and the problems they've had with illegals forcing the closures of hospitals and emergency rooms. Wisconsin isn't that far behind...we have a lot of illegals here due to our agriculture base which draws migrant workers from spring through final frost.
Heck, I even remember my Grandma putting together boxes of food, toys, clothing, blankets...all sorts of stuff for migrant workers in her area over 35 years ago! She had a heart of gold, but she'd be amazed at how things are today in her little "carrot and potato growing town" if she were still alive.
I'm not sure, but I do know there are a lot of exemptions and loopholes in the state sales tax. In fact, a Democrat state Senator proposed cutting property taxes in exchange for getting rid of most of the exemptions (which is a good idea IMO) but of course Bingo Doyle opposed it.
Personally, I would rather have the sales tax fund everything. Get rid of all the income & property taxes and just have an 8 or 9% sales tax.
California is illegal alien heaven. We're already paying for the health care and everything else for several million illegals, and this will encourage even more to come.
It seems that Arnold of California has changed his tune and bought into the GWBush "compassionate conservatism" agenda, apparently with his liberal wife's approval.
Believe it or not, Maine does have a significant population of immigrants -especially poor Somali refugees. Vermont's population, while extremely "white", is also rapidly aging due to an exodus of young people facing a lack of employment opportunities, as well as an influx of retirees from New York, southern New England and California. Both states have high taxes that will only get worse. By some accounts, Maine already has the most heavily taxed citizens in the country.
States already mandate universal health care. Hospitals can't turn anyone away. As a public policy measure, I favor that. We do not -- and should not -- allow people who lack medical insurance to bleed to death at the doors of a hospital. The problem is simply how to pay for universal coverage.
FWIW, I have no problem mandating insurance coverage with a sliding-scale subsidy for low income folks. Portability and cost-consciousness are also desirable, and the way to achieve both objectives is to unhitch from employer-paid insurance. A government-run system is also to be avoided since that will lead to stagnation and rationing, so mandating individual coverage with the widest possible range of choice may very well be the way to go.
America is a nation of psychotic, paranoid hypochondriacs.
"Personally, I would rather have the sales tax fund everything. Get rid of all the income & property taxes and just have an 8 or 9% sales tax."
In 'A Perfect World' that would work...but you know they'll find a hundred ways from Friday to bilk every penny out of us that they can. And then we have to listen to the lefties in this state whine and cry about how we're "disenfranchising" the "poor folk" with a Sales Tax because, well...just BECAUSE! (They don't need any facts.)
Look at IL. They have a large Sales Tax (over 8%...I shop in Schaumburg about twice a year)...and they still have property & income taxes. You can't even drive on their cr@ppy roads without paying a toll. It's madness! And it's creeping north at an alarming rate.
Luckily, thwarting taxes in every legal way possible is my "hobby." I welcome a new challenge by my state government. I'll find a way around it, LOL!
No sales tax here in NH, and don't want UNIV HC
I sell health care to individuals and have a couple of points you never hear about. First, most individual health care costs much less then negotiated group and ALL government employee plans! The reason is that those plans pay for everything that every special interest negotiated into a health plan, and, co-pay and deductible are way to low. If affordable health care is the goal, keep the government out of it, force consumers to choose their plan (not on the internet, the insurance companies are smarter then you or me. Instead, talk to an agent that must explain our policy)Health Savings accounts are wonderfully, and higher co-pays and deductibles are money savers. That`s the real world, boys and girls
"America is a nation of psychotic, paranoid hypochondriacs."
I agree...to an extent. I'm healthy as a horse. All the women in my family are. We have massive heart attacks around age 73 and are dead before we hit the floor. No muss, no fuss. :)
However, I thank my Lucky Stars that my husband and I had excellent health insurance through his job (it was part of his compensation package, as it should be, IMHO, not some RIGHT granted by The State) because he's had two disks replaced in his neck within a four year period, and without insurance we'd have been in debt to the tune of $100,000.00.
And now we own our own business...and paying our Health Care premium each month is "Bill Number One."
But you're right...most people are idiots when it comes to their general, everyday health. Eat your veggies, drink lots of water, take a walk each day, get some fresh air, cut back on the fat, ciggies and booze, (moderation) get a decent amount of sleep and wash your hands often, d@mmit, LOL!
"If affordable health care is the goal, keep the government out of it, force consumers to choose their plan..."
Amen! And welcome to Free Republic. :)
Eat your veggies, drink lots of water, take a walk each day, get some fresh air, cut back on the fat, ciggies and booze, (moderation) get a decent amount of sleep and wash your hands often, d@mmit, LOL!
Once we get "free" healthcare, there will be health police to make sure everyone is doing those things listed above. Those who fail to follow the nanny state's rules will be denied all health care. It's coming and it won't be pretty.
We have a very poor and very elderly population here in Maine. This program will bankrupt the state and it wont take long.
No kidding! I want fire & police protection. I want my trash picked up on time. I want the potholes filled in on the roads I drive and I want FAIR, CLEAN elections.
And that's about all I can think of that I need from Government. Otherwise, leave me alone. :)
"The program has fallen short of its goals..."
And at tremendous cost.
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