In April 2007 Senator French introduced Senate Bill 160, which aims to have all Alaskans acquire affordable health insurance. Like many other reform efforts taking shape in states across the country, this bill doesn’t change how health care is delivered; it does not place the government between you and your health care. Instead, the bill ensures equitable financing of the health care system and makes insurance affordable to all Alaskans.
Many things must occur to ensure that all Alaskans have health insurance - the state cannot simply require all citizens to go and purchase coverage. Such a mandate would be unfair and cost prohibitive, since many Alaskans cannot afford meaningful coverage. An alternative exists.
SB 160 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.
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.
