Massachusetts Health Insurance Law Would Not Work in Florida, Experts Say
Some policy experts say it is unlikely that Florida would be able to enact a health insurance law similar to a Massachusetts law passed earlier this year, the Orlando Sentinel reports (Wessel, Orlando Sentinel, 9/4). The Massachusetts law requires all state residents to have health insurance by next summer, but, in the event that the state cannot negotiate affordable premium rates, more than 500,000 uninsured residents will not have to meet the requirement. In addition, the law requires the state to subsidize health insurance for the more than 100,000 uninsured residents with annual incomes between 100% and 300% of the federal poverty level (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 9/1). One issue that would limit the effectiveness of such a law in Florida is that it "is a much larger state with a much larger" uninsured population than Massachusetts, the Sentinel reports. The percentage of Massachusetts residents who are uninsured is "relatively low" -- 10.7% -- compared with 19.6% of Florida residents, according to the Sentinel. Rich Morrison, vice president of governmental affairs for Florida Hospital System, said, "Their problem is small compared with ours. We can't spring this (statewide health insurance) full-blown like Massachusetts did -- the economics are too huge." He added, "What would the cost be to Florida? You can't count that high." Morrison said Florida instead should consider loosening eligibility requirements for Medicaid, increasing the age limit for dependent children to be covered by their parents' health plans and allowing small businesses to form association health plans. Mark Wilson, executive vice president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, noted that if the state enacted an employer mandate similar to that in Massachusetts -- where employers with more than 10 workers are required to offer health insurance or pay an assessment -- it likely would not affect many companies in Florida. He added that about 95% of the chamber's 137,000 members have fewer than 10 employees (Orlando Sentinel, 9/4).
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