There’s still time for the Illinois General Assembly to pass legislation creating a state-operated health insurance exchange, but Gov. Pat Quinn hopes lawmakers don’t wait until June to act, a Quinn aide said Monday.
Some legislators have indicated they want to delay a decision until summer, when the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether the federal Affordable Care Act and the act’s individual insurance mandate are constitutional.
However, there will be problems if a bill to set up a board of directors and funding for a regulated insurance clearinghouse in Illinois isn’t passed until June, said Michael Gelder, the Democratic governor’s senior health-care policy adviser.
...
Illinois’ proposed self-supporting exchange would be a place for individuals and small businesses to buy health insurance and potentially qualify for federal subsidies to make premiums and other out-of-pocket costs more affordable.
...
State Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, said he is working on a legislative compromise that could pass the House and Senate this spring in time for Quinn to sign it into law. Passage of a law would ensure that Illinois qualifies for more than $80 million in federal startup grants, according to administration officials.
The grants would pay for a massive upgrade of state government’s computer capacity and would have the added benefit of helping the state enact a 2011 Illinois law designed to cut down on Medicaid abuse and make the program more efficient.
http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x1184534252/Quinn-seeking-spring-action-on-state-health-care-preparation
Hat Tip: State Journal-Register
Showing posts with label Illinois. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Illinois. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Illinois- Who Should Control Illinois’ Public Health Insurance Exchange?
As Illinois and other states rush to implement federal health insurance reforms, consumer advocates say lawmakers shouldn’t allow insurers to make all the decisions.
Illinois must create a board to oversee the state’s federally-mandated public health insurance exchange by late June if the state wants to access hundreds of millions in federal funds, says Jim Duffett, executive director of the Illinois-based Campaign for Better Healthcare. But Duffett warns that filling the governing board with insurance providers would mean expensive and restrictive choices for consumers.
“If you can’t regulate and negotiate with the insurers, they’re going to be able to charge whatever they want and be able to dictate the terms,” Duffett says.
...
Duffett wants the governing board that oversees Illinois’ public exchange to include health experts, consumers, small business representatives, and possibly a representative from the office of the Illinois attorney general. Duffett says insurance providers have no place on the board. He likens the board to a jury, with insurers being attorneys who must convince the jury.
“We want a board that is racially, geographically, culturally diverse,” Duffett says. “We think by having a board like this, it will bring balance. Needless to say, there’s not a consumer lobby that has as many political contributions and as much influence as the insurance industry.”
...
Meanwhile, insurers have told the Illinois Health Care Reform Implementation Council, created by Gov. Pat Quinn to oversee federal reforms, that they should have a seat on the board to ensure the public exchange is competitive yet still viable for private insurers.
http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-9684-healthy-exchange.html
Hat tip: Illinois Times
Illinois must create a board to oversee the state’s federally-mandated public health insurance exchange by late June if the state wants to access hundreds of millions in federal funds, says Jim Duffett, executive director of the Illinois-based Campaign for Better Healthcare. But Duffett warns that filling the governing board with insurance providers would mean expensive and restrictive choices for consumers.
“If you can’t regulate and negotiate with the insurers, they’re going to be able to charge whatever they want and be able to dictate the terms,” Duffett says.
...
Duffett wants the governing board that oversees Illinois’ public exchange to include health experts, consumers, small business representatives, and possibly a representative from the office of the Illinois attorney general. Duffett says insurance providers have no place on the board. He likens the board to a jury, with insurers being attorneys who must convince the jury.
“We want a board that is racially, geographically, culturally diverse,” Duffett says. “We think by having a board like this, it will bring balance. Needless to say, there’s not a consumer lobby that has as many political contributions and as much influence as the insurance industry.”
...
Meanwhile, insurers have told the Illinois Health Care Reform Implementation Council, created by Gov. Pat Quinn to oversee federal reforms, that they should have a seat on the board to ensure the public exchange is competitive yet still viable for private insurers.
http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-9684-healthy-exchange.html
Hat tip: Illinois Times
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Illinois- Quinn Mulls Executive Order for Health Insurance Exchange
Gov. Pat Quinn is weighing whether to use an executive order to jump-start planning for Illinois’ health insurance exchange, a move that could rankle both state legislators and business groups.
In an apparent sign of impatience with the slow-moving Illinois General Assembly, a spokeswoman for the governor said the administration may use the order to create the “skeleton” of an exchange, which would allow staff to push forward with planning efforts.
That option immediately drew criticism.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20120214/NEWS03/120219913/quinn-mulls-executive-order-for-health-insurance-exchange
Hat tip: Crain's Chicago Business
In an apparent sign of impatience with the slow-moving Illinois General Assembly, a spokeswoman for the governor said the administration may use the order to create the “skeleton” of an exchange, which would allow staff to push forward with planning efforts.
That option immediately drew criticism.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20120214/NEWS03/120219913/quinn-mulls-executive-order-for-health-insurance-exchange
Hat tip: Crain's Chicago Business
Monday, February 13, 2012
CO-OPs- Illinois: Update--Small Business Advocacy Council Announces Introduction of Health Care Cooperative Legislation
The Small Business Advocacy Council (SBAC) announced introduction of House Bill 3976, sponsored by Representative Karen May (D-Highwood), and Senate Bill 2885, sponsored by Senator Kwame Raoul, to authorize health care cooperatives in Illinois in an effort to stabilize health care costs for small business owners.
A health care cooperative (coop - consumer owned and operated plan) is a state-chartered, nonprofit, membership organization comprised of individuals and small employers joined together to operate as a health insurance issuer.
"The growth of small businesses and the economy continues to be undermined by the lack of affordable health care," said Elliot Richardson, SBAC President. "Too often small businesses are held hostage to large insurance companies imposing increasing or wildly-fluctuating rates without explanation or full disclosure of how their premium dollars are truly being spent."
The SBAC, a non-partisan, not-for-profit political organization, was established in 2010 to give small business owners, their employees and those with whom they conduct business with a voice in local, state and federal politics. The group represents more than 400 small businesses in the Chicagoland area.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/small-business-advocacy-council-announces-introduction-of-health-care-cooperative-legislation-2012-02-09?reflink=MW_news_stmp
Hat tip: MarketWatch/ Wall St. Journal
A health care cooperative (coop - consumer owned and operated plan) is a state-chartered, nonprofit, membership organization comprised of individuals and small employers joined together to operate as a health insurance issuer.
"The growth of small businesses and the economy continues to be undermined by the lack of affordable health care," said Elliot Richardson, SBAC President. "Too often small businesses are held hostage to large insurance companies imposing increasing or wildly-fluctuating rates without explanation or full disclosure of how their premium dollars are truly being spent."
The SBAC, a non-partisan, not-for-profit political organization, was established in 2010 to give small business owners, their employees and those with whom they conduct business with a voice in local, state and federal politics. The group represents more than 400 small businesses in the Chicagoland area.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/small-business-advocacy-council-announces-introduction-of-health-care-cooperative-legislation-2012-02-09?reflink=MW_news_stmp
Hat tip: MarketWatch/ Wall St. Journal
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
CO-OPs- Illinois: Small-Biz Advocacy Group Pushes Health Insurance CO-OPs Idea in Springfield
At least one organization in Illinois, the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC) — an advocacy group for hospitals and other area health providers including Northwestern Medical Center, the Advocate Health Care Network, the University of Chicago Medical Center, Rush University Medical Center and more — has applied for a federal CO-OP grant. Meanwhile, the Small Business Advocacy Council, a Chicago group run by attorney (and erstwhile congressional candidate) Elliot Richardson, is proposing state legislation to establish a health insurance co-op aimed at small-business owners.
The SBAC has sponsors in the state House and Senate for its proposal. Mr. Richardson spoke to Crain's about his goals for co-ops, which he said would stabilize health insurance costs while making the process of shopping for better rates more transparent.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20120208/BLOGS06/120209826
Hat tip: Chicago Business/ Crain's Blogs/ Meg McSherry Breslin
The SBAC has sponsors in the state House and Senate for its proposal. Mr. Richardson spoke to Crain's about his goals for co-ops, which he said would stabilize health insurance costs while making the process of shopping for better rates more transparent.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20120208/BLOGS06/120209826
Hat tip: Chicago Business/ Crain's Blogs/ Meg McSherry Breslin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)