THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA—OIR: Cover Florida may not pass federal muster
Dec 17, 2009
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA published this article on December 15, 2009.
By MICHAEL PELTIER
THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, Dec. 15, 2009…..Gov. Charlie Crist’s Cover Florida health insurance plan may not meet the requirements of new federal health laws depending aimed at boosting coverage, depending on what version of reform federal lawmakers come up with, a top state regulator said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, at least one member of the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation’s Health Insurance Advisory Board on Tuesday said the panel, which includes representatives from the insurance industry, medical providers, employers and consumers, may serve little purpose and should be abolished.
Pushed by Crist last year, Cover Florida may likely fail to satisfy minimum standards of health coverage now being debated in the U.S. Senate, state Deputy Insurance Commissioner Mary Beth Senkewicz told members of the advisory board during a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday.
But a rival plan, approved by the U.S. House earlier this month, would likely allow current Cover Florida policyholders to continue to receive limited coverage, even if those policies do not contain minimum standards anticipated in a federally approved plan.
“It appears, at least right now, that those policies would be grandfathered in (if the House version prevails,)” said Senkewicz, who cautioned that competing health reform bills in Congress are changing almost daily.
Cover Florida has seen its ranks swell significantly from a percentage point of view, but the plan touted by Crist to provide basic preventative and catastrophic coverage for $155 a month, still covers only a miniscule number of the estimated 3.9 million Floridians who are now uninsured.
As of Oct. 31, Cover Florida covered 5,061 policyholders, up 35 percent from June 30, when it insured roughly 3,700 residents. Crist administration officials have been trying for months to show that Cover Florida may be a bigger success than its enrollment seems to indicate.
Six health insurance providers have been authorized to offer Cover Florida Health Care plans. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida and United Healthcare are available in all 67 Florida counties. In addition, Flagler, Volusia, Broward and Miami Dade Counties have further options.
On another front, a consumer representative on the advisory panel said the group does little advising and may serve little purpose. Committee member Walter Dartland, executive director of the Consumer Federation of the Southeast, said the committee should consider closing up shop.
Dartland requested that the panel undergo a sunset review to see if it is worth the expense of continuing to meet throughout the year. The Florida Legislature established the board to advise the OIR, the Agency of Health Care Administration and other executive departments as well as the governor and Florida Legislature on issues and trends affecting Floridians in the health care insurance marketplace.