In April 2007 Senator French introduced legislation that would establish a framework to make health insurance affordable for all state residents. Like many other reform efforts taking shape in states across the country, the bill doesn't change how health care is delivered; it doesn't place the government between you and your health decisions. Instead, the bill ensures equitable financing of health care and makes accessing medical procedures affordable to all Alaskans.
SB 61, formerly SB 160 during the 2007-2008 legislative sessions, will ensure that all Alaskans can afford meaningful health coverage. The bill establishes the Alaska health care board, which will oversee the program and review private insurance plans, ensuring that each plan is a quality product. A health care clearinghouse would be created under the bill, where private insurers could compete for health care 'vouchers', adding competition and personal choice of plans into the mix. Two types of vouchers will be established by the proposal: needs based and specified beneficiary vouchers. Needs based vouchers will ensure that all Alaskans can afford insurance by providing assistance to individuals and families that cannot afford plans on their own. Specified beneficiary vouchers allow employers and individuals to contribute additional dollars towards a health plan.
There are many reasons this legislation is necessary. For one, people should be able to access medical care in times of need without going bankrupt. In addition, the current system unfairly penalizes those who invest in health care, by transferring costs associated with uncompensated care to those who can pay. A recent legislative research report found that the State of Alaska, as an employer, paid an extra 18.9 million dollars for state employee benefits through cost shifting created by uncompensated care in the state. If you currently pay for medical procedures, you too are feeling an extra price burden caused by unpaid medical bills. This bill ensures equitable financing of the health care system.
That description is the 30,000 foot overview of the plan… For more details, visit the links below. As always, contact Senator French or his staff with any questions or comments.
