Washington Basic Health Plan scale: 1 pilot = 36,000 people.
Posted on 06/01/2009 8:08:12 AM PDT by InvisibleChurch
Steve Hill is about to decide how to eject some 36,000 people from Washington's Basic Health Plan, the popular state-subsidized insurance program for the working poor. Because of the state budget crisis, the Washington Legislature has cut the program's two-year funding nearly in half. As early as this week, Hill must render a decision on how to whittle the plan's 100,000 members down to a target of 64,000 by January.
Health policy experts call his dilemma one of the thorniest cases of rationing they've seen. While several states have frozen or pared back enrollment in Medicaid by lowering income thresholds, Basic Health may be the first public-health plan to consider a wide range of arbitrary options in how to boot off members:
Unlike the state-federal Medicaid program -- which does not accept nondisabled, childless adults no matter how poor they are -- Basic Health is open to all state residents who earn less than twice the poverty level, or $36,620 for a family of three. When it began as a pilot program in King and Spokane counties in 1988, it was the nation's first public insurance plan to subsidize premiums using only state tax dollars; even now, only five other states operate similar programs, in part because they're so expensive. Over two decades, enrollment in Washington's plan has climbed as high as 140,000 people; it now has about 100,000, 57 percent of whom get by on poverty-level incomes or less (a majority are in their 20s, 30s and 40s; some are disabled or unemployed, but many work). On average, members pay $36 a month toward their premiums and the state pays the rest -- $209 a month on average; the plan doesn't includes vision or dental benefits, but covers most everything else for a modest co-pay and an annual deductible of $150. All told, the subsidies cost the state about $300 million a year, but because of the recession, the Legislature in April voted to slash Basic Health's budget by 43 percent between 2009 and 2011; that left $338 million -- enough, officials hope, for 64,000 slots, a reality that has prompted panicked members to beseech officials to spare their coverage. After weeks of analysis led by Hill's deputy, Preston Cody, Basic Health officials have narrowed to five the potential options for "involuntary disenrollment," including a controversial lottery.
Random selections would shrink the insurance-pool size without altering its demographic mix. Hill calls it an "elegant" fix and Cody agrees, even as both men acknowledge moral qualms.
But some patient advocates vehemently reject it as too capricious. Daphne Pie, a health care benefits outreach educator with Public Health -- Seattle & King County, said health care is too important to leave to chance.
Source: Editorial, "Lottery may be used to cut 36,000 from state health plan," Seattle Times, May 31, 2009.
For text:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2009281849_healthdilemma31m.html
For more on Health Issues:
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_Category=16
Washington Basic Health Plan scale: 1 pilot = 36,000 people.
Well, there's 1 job they can safely cut. We'll call it "Randog's Rule": Any public employee with more than 5 words in their job title can be cut with little-to-no discernable impact to "services".
35,999 to go...
“On average, members pay $36 a month toward their premiums and the state pays the rest — $209 a month on average;”
~$250 a month is not a bad price.
Why are there any uninsured people in Seattle? Are there people too cheap to pay $36 a month? That's 1/3rd of my cable bill.
Why use a lottery? They should simply ask people to pay an extra 20 a month, and see how many people drop out.
...............but it will work on a national level!!!!!!!!
Get rid of all the sick ones, that will cut costs even more.
Wouldn’t that number be cut in half if they cut the illegals? Interesting that they never talk about that fact.
“......but it will work on a national level!!!!!!!!”
You make a good point here. I have read about a number of different state initiatives and while some seemed interesting, all have failed. I believe the only way to make this work is to be on a more local level, for example by county or something. To do so on such a large scale by state or country just isn’t going to work.
Who could have foreseen that it would be so difficult to give away other people’s money.
HMFIC is only 5 words, so I might be safe, right?!? ;-P
Compared to Cobra at 5 or 6 times that.
I’m sure Christine Gregoire will solve this problem with a snap of her fingers. I notice that they seem to be keeping her out of this. Wouldn’t want any of the bad feelings to rub off on her.
Just use the Hussein system...discontinue service to anyone who donates to or supports the political right!
“I’m sure Christine Gregoire will solve this problem with a snap of her fingers. I notice that they seem to be keeping her out of this. Wouldn’t want any of the bad feelings to rub off on her.”
Maybe she can use some of the money she’s giving to the Arts. This crap is happening across the country, every day. ENOUGH !
A state lottery for health care? What dim bulb thought of this?
Well, the spec is “...more than five words...” so it looks like HMFIC is safe. If it’s a problem change your title to HNIC....;^)
LOL!
Fortunately mine comes in under the wire (if I drop the “Sr.”)
Perfectly reasonable and to be expected.
The alternative would require judgement, reason, intelligence and thought. In other words real work. Not exactly the hallmark of the public-sector bureaucrat.
Culling the deadbeats from the list and identifying the deserving is simply too much work. An inconvenience really.
What these criminal incompetents are saying is that everyone receiving welfare includingthe 30% of frauds, are equally deserving.
I say determine the final number that need to "go", and make half the number public employees (the other welfare).
Hell... $25000 a month is not a bad price.
If someone else is paying!
Just saying.
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