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Universal Coverage Bills, 2006
Updated September 2006

2007 Universal Coverage Bills

State

 Bill/link

CA

 S.B. 840 - Would establish the California Health Insurance System under which all state residents would be eligible for the single-payer system.  Also creates the California Health Insurance Agency to administer the program, under the elected supervision of the Health Insurance Commissioner.  Passed Assembly.  Vetoed by governor 9/22/06.

CT 

 S.B. 482 - Effective July 1, 2008, creates the Connecticut Health Care Insurance Act; 

estabilshes a single-payer health care system that provides coverage to every resident of Connecticut.  Establishes the design and governance of the system.  Did not pass out of committee during regular session.

FL

 FL S.B. 310 - Creates the Universal Health Access Plan to provide no-cost access to health care for all children in the state. Carried-over from 2005. Did not pass out of committee during regular session.

HI 

 H.B. 3128 - Establishes an agency to operate a single-payer system in the state (Identical bill: S.B. 3210). Did not pass out of committee during regular session.

 S.B. 2436 - Establishes a board to oversee universal health care in the state. Did not pass out of committee during regular session.

 H.B. 3116 - Creates Keiki Care Plan, a 3 year pilot program meant to give every child in the state health care.  The program offers no-cost insurance to children between the ages of 3 months and 18 years who are ineligible for QUEST (state-sponsored program) but do not have private coverage.  Effective July 1, 2006.  Passed by legislature 5/4/2006.  Vetoed by governor 7/11/2006.

MA

H.B 4850 - Creates the Health Care Access and Affordability Act.  The comprehensive reform is a multi-prong approach toward universal coverage.  It requires all individuals who can afford to do so to maintain health insurance through their employer, a state-run program, or in the individual market; private insurance companies would be encouraged to provide lower-cost plans. The state’s Medicaid program would be expanded to include children in families that are at or below 300 percent of the FPL.  The MassHealth 1115 waiver has been extended, with new demonstration projects and federal dollars.  It eliminates the employers’ contribution to the free care pool, the state-operated fund that helps pay for the medical care of the uninsured. Employers who do not offer insurance to their workers would instead have to pay an assessment to a similar fund ($295 per employee per year). Employers with 10 or fewer employees would be exempt.  Passed 4/12/2006;  Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006.   Governor Mitt Romney vetoed portions of the bill; veto message, press release.  Legislature overturned most vetos. For more information, click on: bill summary, powerpoint presentation,
NCSL's Massachusetts Overview; watch the NCSL Webcast from May 31, 2006.

MO

 S.B. 777 - Establishes the Missouri Universal Health Assurance Program to provide every citizen with health care.  The act also establishes the Missouri Health Care Trust Fund to fund the system.  The structure of the program is similar to the Canadian health care system's structure.  Re-filed under H.B. 1851.  Did not pass out of committee during regular session.
 H.B. 2123 - Estabilshes the Missouri Universal Health Insurance Act; creates a single-payer health care system, funded by increased taxes and other government revenue sources available to all citizens.  Says that private insurance may not offer the same benefits offered by state contractors; providers will be reimbursed on a fee-for-service basis. Did not pass out of committee during regular session.

NH

 L.S.R. 2257 - Establishes the New Hampshire Health Access Corporation for comprehensive coverage and expands coverage in the Healthy Kids Corporation to cover adults.  Also establishes the Health Access Board to oversee the system.  Died.

NY

 A.B. 4129 - Establishes the Working New Yorkers Health Insurance Act; Requires all employers with 25 or more employees to pay at least 80 percent of insurance premiums into a health care purchasing fund for all their employees and their employees dependents.  Requires that employees pay 20 percent of the premiums for themselves and their dependents, unless the employer agrees to pay more.  Employees who earn less than 200 percent of the FPL are only required to pay 5 percent.  The Civil Service Commission will then use collective bargaining power to purchase insurance coverage for all.  In committee. 

 A.B. 6576 - Establishes a comprehensive system of access to health care for all New York residents. 

VT

 H 861 - Creates the Catamount Health Program which will provide affordable, comprehensive coverage for uninsured residents.  The plan will be sold by private companies and subsidized by public funds for low-income residents.  The plan focuses on managing chronic diseases in hopes of improving the quality of care in the state, while reducing the rate of growth in health care costs.  The plan will have no cost-sharing to the patient for preventive care or recommended services for chronic illness.  Catamount Health will also subsidize employer sponsored insurance for eligible people.  The state funding will come from Medicaid waiver financing, two increases in the tobacco tax, from $1.19 to $1.79 next year, and to $1.99 in 2009 and from an assessment on employers for employees who either are not offered insurance or who are offered insurance, chose not to enroll, and are uninsured. Passed 5/9/2006 Conference Committee Summary Click here for more information

H 895 - This bill proposes to amend H.861 of the 2005 Adj. Sess. (2006) to allow the commissioner of banking, insurance, securities, and health care administration to require some insurers to provide Catamount Health and postpone legislative review until 2009. Passed

WI 

 S.B. 698 - Creates the Wisconsin Health Care Plan, establishing mandatory coverage of all private and publically employed individuals and their dependents, exempts those eligible for Medicare.  Self-employed individuals may buy into the system.  Cost sharing plans include contributions from employers (flat rate per employee) and employees; a state-run board will negotiate plans and prescription drug discounts.  Did not pass out of committee during regular session.

A.B. 1140 - Creates the Wisconsin Health Plan; provides insurance coverage to all Wisconsin citizens who have resided in the state six months or more (exceptions: people who are institutionalized, those eligible for Medicaid and federal employees).  Will be introduced January 2007.

 

Studies Commissioned

State

 Bill/Link

HI

 H.B. 2670 - Creates the Hawaii Health Authority to introduce a plan for universal health care in the state by 2008.  Appropriates $500,000 in funds (Identical bill: S.B. 2659).  Did not pass out of committee during regular session.

 S.B. 1212 - Creates a task force within the governor's office to create a plan to provide universal health care coverage for Hawaiians. Task force to report 6/30/06. (Carried over from 2005) Did not pass out of committee during regular session.

 MD

 H.B. 97 - Extends the reporting deadline for the Joint Legislative Task Force on Universal Access to Quality and Affordable Health Care to Dec. 31, 2006; grants other extensions, allows the task force to appoint sub-committees, approves more nonvoting members (Identical bill: S.B. 60 passed).  

H.B. 1152 - Specifies the term, duties, and powers of the board charged with overseeing the Maryland Universal Health Care Plan.  (Identical bill: SB 410) Both bills in committee. Died

 MN

 S.B. 2468 - Establishes a commission to create a universal health care system in Minnesota.  The commission must prepare legislation that meets this bill's stipulations regarding what features the universal system must have by January 31, 2008.  The bill also contains a proposal for a constitutional amendment making health care a right of citizenship and the government's responsibility to provide (same as H.B. 3106). Did not pass out of committee during regular session.

 NY

 A.B. 7069 - Directs the commissioners of the state insurance fund to create a single-payer health care system and submit the necessary legislation to implement the program. (Carried over from 2005; first introduced in 1997)

 RI

 H.R. 7111 - Extends the Special House Commission on the study of a single-payer comprehensive health insurance plan to Sep. 2008. Passed House; did not pass Senate during regular session.

 Public Law No. 2006-307 - Creates a 19 member task force to study the viability of the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Plan to offer universal access to all citizens in Rhode Island.

 WV

 H.B 4021 -  Creates the Commission on Health Care Reform.  Specifically outlines the commission's duties and outlines procedure for experimental projects.  Sunsets July 1, 2010 (Identical bill S.B. 164). Passed

 VA

 H.J.R. 158 - Appoints the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the components necessary to create universal health care for all Virginians. Did not pass out of committee during regular session.

 

 

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