A look at 2 states health insurance plans

A look at 2 states health insurance plans

By The Associated Press – 17 hours ago

Here's a look at the health insurance expansion efforts in Massachusetts and Tennessee.
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Massachusetts:
POPULATION: 6.5 million.
LAW SIGNED: April 2006.
ADDITIONAL PEOPLE COVERED: 432,000.
COST TO STATE: $628 million in fiscal year 2008, about 42 percent of that reimbursed by the federal government.
HOW IT WORKS: Uninsured adults must pay tax penalties if the state says they can afford insurance. Employers with more than 10 workers must offer insurance or pay penalties of $295 per worker.
STRENGTHS: High standards for what qualifies as minimum health insurance coverage. Low-income residents now more likely to get preventive care. Employers still offer benefits, haven't been "crowded out" by the state-subsidized plan.
WEAKNESSES: Rising health care costs may force future cuts to benefits. One in five adults say they were told by a doctor's office no new patients being accepted.
ADVICE FOR CONGRESS: "Insurance is a grudge buy. Nobody goes down to the brokers on Saturday to see how fast this baby will go from zero to 60 and smell the new leather." — Jon Kingsdale, executive director, Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, Massachusetts.
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Tennessee:
POPULATION: 6.2 million.
LAW SIGNED: June 2006.
ADDITIONAL PEOPLE COVERED: 19,000.
COST TO STATE: $10.9 million in fiscal year 2008. No federal dollars.
HOW IT WORKS: Plan targets workers at small businesses, the self-employed and recently unemployed adults. The cost of monthly premiums is shared by the state, the individual and employers.
STRENGTHS: No one is forced to participate. People who want coverage get the basics like doctor visits, prescriptions and lab tests at affordable rates.
WEAKNESSES: Covers only generic drugs, except for brand-name insulin. Annual limits on inpatient hospital visits leave people vulnerable to high bills when they most need help. Hospitals potentially lose money when people in plan hit annual maximums.
ADVICE FOR CONGRESS: "There's nothing wrong with crossing the river a stone at a time. You don't have to make a flying leap for the far bank." — Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee.
Sources: Massachusetts, Tennessee, U.S. Census, Kaiser Family Foundation, Urban Institute, Health Affairs, AP interviews.

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