San Mateo County Group Shelves Coverage Plan in Wake of Health Reform
On Monday, a San Mateo County task force set aside plans for a project to expand health insurance coverage to thousands of residents, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Members of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Adult Healthcare Coverage Expansion said they decided instead to focus on helping local officials implement the new federal health reform law, which aims to accomplish the group's goals of improving health care access and affordability.
Background
In September 2006, San Mateo County officials founded the 36-member task force in an effort to expand health insurance coverage to as many as 44,000 low-income residents who do not qualify for public health insurance programs. Representatives from labor groups, hospitals, not-for-profit organizations, businesses and the government participated in efforts to plan the project.
Under the task force's plan, qualifying low-income adults could have obtained care at county clinics and hospitals by paying premiums of up to $100 per month.
The group had not found a funding source to cover the county's share of the expanded coverage. A 2007 estimate calculated the plan would cost $300 monthly per person, or $150 million in total.
Moving Forward
Adrienne Tissier, task force co-chair, said the new federal health reform law will accomplish the group's objectives.
Some task force members said the research they have conducted to prepare for the county's coverage expansion project will help them assist local health officials in implementing the federal reform law (Bishop, San Jose Mercury News, 4/22). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.