House Amends, Passes Governor’s Health Plan–SB 2534

After being amended and passed unanimously by the Florida Senate on April 16, 2008, Senate Bill 2534, which contains some of the provisions for Governor Charlie Crist’s proposed statewide health insurance program, passed the House 70 (Y) to 39 (N) on Saturday, April 19 with one additional amendment.

The bill, which would create a public-private corporation that House Republicans said would help build a marketplace for health-care services and insurance, was the subject of bitter debate because it departed from the Governor’s initial plan that largely was approved by the Senate on Wednesday, April 16.

House staff analysts estimated it would take $1 million to run the corporation, while the Governor’s analysts said it could cost up to $8 million.  Initially as presented, the Governor’s plan would not cost anything. 

To read details of the Governor’s plan, which was endorsed by the Florida Health Insurance Advisory Board (chaired by Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty), click here.

As amended, Senate Bill 2534 specifies that coverage provided through the “Cover Florida Health Care Access Program” is considered health insurance coverage for the purposes of determining eligibility for the state retiree health insurance subsidy.  SB 2534 creates the “Cover Florida Health Care Access Program” and requires the development of guidelines to meet minimum standards for quality care and access to care.

News coverage of the House vote from the Palm Beach Post is reprinted below:

Insurance program passes, but blasted by Democrats

By THOMAS R. COLLINS

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Saturday, April 19, 2008

TALLAHASSEE — The state House early Saturday passed a health-insurance program that Republicans said would benefit Floridians by giving them choices on coverage but that Democrats blasted as offering only the illusion of coverage, with one calling it “non-insurance insurance.”

The plan, discussed in the middle of the night after a rancorous marathon session, would give people options on what kinds of services to get coverage for – from preventive care to office visits to emergency care.

It would also aim to create a public-private corporation that House Republicans said would help create a marketplace for health-care services and insurance — a feature that is the main difference from a plan put forth by Gov. Charlie Crist and approved by the state Senate on Wednesday.

The House staff estimated it would take $1 million to run the corporation. Crist’s analysts said it could cost up to $8 million, while the governor’s plan wouldn’t cost anything.

House Healthcare Council Chair Aaron Bean of Fernandina Beach said the plan gives Floridians options they crave.

“I believe government can be sometimes far overreaching,” Bean said. “Mrs. Jones is going to take care of Mrs. Jones. How about that?”

But House Minority Leader Dan Gelber of Miami Beach said health coverage is too critical to leave up to what he called a “farmer’s market” approach that would expose people to “bottom feeders.”

“We create regulations for healthcare because it’s one of those things that’s important to people — we want to make sure they’re not getting ripped off,” he said. “This will destroy health care in Florida.”

Gov. Charlie Crist had pushed the House to pass his plan that would let the state’s 2.8 million uninsured adults buy cheap, stripped-down health coverage for about $150 a month, saying they’d risk losing re-election if they didn’t. Premiums can now cost at least $600 per month because state law requires insurers to offer 51 types of coverage.

The House debate on what is considered perhaps the most important issue in this year’s legislative session began at 1:18 a.m. early Saturday morning with an empty public gallery. It was the very end of a 16-hour session tainted by a partisan battle of wills in which Republicans cut off Democratic debate on education and Democrats forced the reading of every, mind-numbing bill in full to make the point that they wouldn’t be pushed around.

The health insurance debate kept things consistent: It was a most bitter dialogue to end a most bitter session.

Rep. Jimmy Patronis of Panama City defended his fellow Republicans’ health-coverage proposal.

“We’re talking about people who have no insurance,” he said. “We’re giving them options.”

Democrats heaped on the criticism.

“What I do know is that it won’t be the people’s plan,” said Rep. Susan Bucher, D-West Palm Beach. “This plan just doesn’t get it.”

Rep. Joyce Cusack, Democrat from DeLand, blasted the House plan and said that after a night of political theatrics, the end came on a somber note.

“We want to play games,” she said. “This is not games. This is real people and real lives.”

 

To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an email to ccochran@cftlaw.com.