Sept 07
Governor Continues to Pursue Healthcare Initiatives
After the Legislature failed to push through the Governor’s sweeping healthcare proposal, Governor Blagojevich announced in mid-August that he would once again bypass the legislative process and pursue his healthcare initiatives through alternate administrative means. The Governor’s announcement was later followed by an amendatory veto that slashed nearly $500 million from the FY08 budget approved by lawmakers in early August. According to the Governor’s revamped healthcare proposal, the total price tag of slightly more than $460 million could be realized through fund transfers and managing program costs as opposed to the 3% payroll tax that had been previously proposed and would require legislative approval.
The Governor’s new healthcare initiative has yet to be unveiled in any manner other than press release form. Governmental Affairs has done an analysis of the new proposal, based on the limited information available. That analysis can be found here.
Other States Grapple with Ambitious Healthcare Plans; Presidential Candidates Push Own Healthcare Initiatives
Universal health insurance is also a battle being fought in other states, with businesses in both California and Massachusetts fighting similar proposals that target business as the primary funding source for universal coverage. Both California and Massachusetts proposals coveted a payroll tax mechanism, pushing the idea that businesses that fail to offer health insurance coverage for their employees must pay their “fair share.”
The following articles provide a more detailed look at the California and Massachusetts healthcare proposals:
The following article from the New York Times also looks at a less controversial proposal to cover uninsured adults that is being advanced by the City of San Francisco.
Presidential candidates have also moved healthcare coverage to the front of the national debate with candidates offering a wide variety of ideas on how to expand coverage to more uninsured individuals. The following articles examine those proposals in more detail:
Battle Lines Drawn in Federal SCHIP Reauthorization
The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is set to expire at the end of this month and the fight over what that program will look like going forward has hit fever pitch. Both the U.S. House and Senate have passed bills reauthorizing the program and while both bills seek an expansion of the program, they do not agree on the terms of that expansion. For instance, the House version of the bill calls for a 45 cent increase in the federal tobacco tax while the Senate version calls for a much larger increase of 61 cents. Although Congress is working to reconcile differences in the legislation, President Bush has repeatedly spoken out against any sort of expansion in the program and has threatened to veto any bill that expands SCHIP.
In the meantime, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking to impose new restrictions under SCHIP that would essentially prevent state SCHIP programs from enrolling uninsured children from families with household incomes above 250% of the federal poverty level. If the new rules are implemented, they could have profound impacts on states that have programs in place that serve children and families in income eligibility thresholds above 250%. This change could also derail the initiatives Governor Blagojevich is currently pursuing.
Read more about the fight over SCHIP reauthorization, as well as New Jersey Governor Corzine’s defiance of the Bush administration’s proposed change in the SCHIP rules:
Motivating Consumers to Get Involved with their Healthcare Plans
A new study by the Midwest Business Group on Health finds that more employees are encouraging their employees to take the reins of their healthcare plans instead of being passive with their plan. Educating consumers on their plans and benefits is key. These days, many consumers are blasé when it comes to cost and quality of services, which can lead to confusion. A lot of the times, consumers assume they get the best quality from the most costly plan, which is untrue.
Consumers should use the tools available to them to come to an educated decision regarding their healthcare plan. The Internet provides easily accessible information regarding providers’ plans and other information. With pressure for health information exchange and transparency, consumers can now find information regarding the quality and cost of doctors, hospitals and providers. While still in the beginning stages, these sites and programs will become an even more innumerous benefit to consumers once the tweaks are worked out.
Health Information Exchange Committee Meets
The Health Information Exchange Committee met on August 29 at the CIGNA offices in Chicago to discuss a Chamber-driven effort to implement some form of a Health Information Exchange in Illinois. Some states, as well as individual corporations, have attempted to create a system that can electronically track an individual’s personal health information in an effort to elevate the quality of care while making the delivery of healthcare more cost-effective. The committee plans to meet again later in September to further discuss goals and objectives.
Financial Week recently spotlighted a similar effort by Intel, Applied Materials, BP America, Cardinal Health, Pitney Bowes, and Wal-Mart to create a Web-based system that tracks employee personal healthcare records to improve care and lower costs.
September Healthcare Council Meeting Update
The full Healthcare Council met September 20 at the Chicago Yacht Club. Attendees were treated to several speakers: Thomas Penno, the COO of the Indiana Health Information Exchange, who spoke on Indiana’s experience on the implementation of their HIE; Len Pagano, the President and CEO of The Safe America Foundation, who covered issues related to emergency health preparedness and a preparedness summit scheduled for this December in Chicago; and Dr. Sharon Langshur, the founder of CarePages, one of the largest web-based networking sites for caregivers, patients, friends, and others to share their personal healthcare stories and offer emotional support. Dr. Langshur and her husband helped co-author a book entitled “We Carry Each Other” based on the stories shared on their website that is scheduled to be released October 1.
Doug O’Brien, Chair of the Council, also gave an update on the HIE committee meeting, as well as issues the Council should look towards addressing in the next year. Jay Shattuck with the Chamber also provided a legislative update on the healthcare-related issues currently circulating at the Capitol.