|
|
|
|
Despite cost surges, lawmakers say state
committed to universal care
By Kyle Cheney and Jim O'Sullivan March 26, 2008 ... The two lawmakers charged with driving state health care policy said Wednesday that policymakers were not considering scaling back the state's increasingly bank-breaking health care reform law. "Never crossed my mind," said Rep. Patricia Walrath, co-chair of the powerful Committee on Health Care Financing. A day after Treasurer Tim Cahill suggested the mandatory coverage law might have to be scaled back in the face of sharply rising costs, Walrath and her co-chair Sen. Richard Moore said lawmakers and the Patrick administration were not entertaining the idea of reducing the scope or ambition of the state's health care law, Chapter 58. "The leadership is committed," Moore said. "And as far as I can tell, the governor is committed to the goal of full access to insurance and full access to care that they can pay for with that insurance." Moore and Walrath told the News Service proceeds from a proposed cigarette tax and increasing corporate tax collections would help fund Commonwealth Care, the state's subsidized insurance for low-income residents. Surging enrollment in the heavily subsidized program combined with rapidly rising health care costs, slower growth in tax revenues, and large numbers of individuals who remain uninsured are putting heavy financial pressure on numerous sectors, from state government to employers to health insurers and providers. Both Moore and Walrath said House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi and Senate President Therese Murray were unlikely to increase the amount set aside for Commonwealth Care in their versions of the budget. Gov. Deval Patrick has recommended $869 million for Commonwealth Care, but higher than expected enrollment and sharply rising costs have prompted worry that the proposed amount may be insufficient. "I think at this point the information we have is that the amount that's been budgeted is probably sufficient," Moore said. "I think they're fine-tuning that." As of March 1, 2008, 176,000 people had signed up for Commonwealth Care. The administration's budget projections anticipate 225,000 enrollees. Moore said the administration may "come back with a revised budget," which could balance any spike in health care costs. He added quickly that it "probably won't happen." Walrath agreed, saying, "I don't think that will happen." Administration officials said there are no plans to file a revised version of the governor's fiscal 2009 budget. Patrick is planning a major policy speech on the economy in the coming weeks and has been consulting with economic advisors and business leaders in advance of the address, according to an administration source. Walrath said that in a meeting with Senate President Therese Murray, Murray said the administration, House and Senate may have to "have another look at" the revenue growth projected for fiscal 2009. Current estimates are at about 3.8 percent, and Moore pointed to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation's estimates of 2.7 percent and 2.9 percent revenue growth as an alternative measure. Moore pointed to Murray's recently filed bill to control health care costs by moving to an electronic medical record system and requiring a hearing if insurers propose rate increases of more than 7 percent. Asked about the bill, which is awaiting a report from the Health Care Financing Committee, Walrath noted that there are "a number of other bills that addressed pieces of the Senate president's bill." Acknowledging the various proposals on the table, Moore said lawmakers would get behind "whichever one makes it to the goal line first." The two legislative leaders said the sustainability of Chapter 58 health care reform would largely depend on support from the federal government. The state is in the process of negotiating a three-year waiver with the federal Department of Health and Human Services. Secretary Michael Leavitt will join state leaders on Thursday for a roundtable to acknowledge Massachusetts efforts to improve health care reporting and record keeping, though Walrath and Moore said he would also be on hand for negotiations over the waiver. "I think the federal government is very interested in maintaining the program because there are so many parts of it that they're trying to push not only for us but other states as well and they want this to be successful," Walrath said. Moore added, "They're probably viewing [Chapter 58] as something of a pilot, or at least portions of it as pilots that certainly could work somewhere else as well. There's pretty good commitment from the federal administration and the Congress." This story is courtesy of the State House News Service. |
