Another governor is getting in the mix of universal health insurance coverage: Florida Governor Charlie Crist.
Governor Crist recently proposed the Cover Florida Health Access Act plan to provide health insurance for the 4 million residents in Florida without coverage. But his plan doesn’t fall in line with the typical universal coverage model.
Instead of requiring residents to buy a plan or mandate businesses provide coverage for their employees, Governor Crist would create an entire new line of Florida health insurance.
His proposal would form health plans with private insurance companies that don’t have any state-required benefits, reported the Palm Beach Post. The idea is that without required benefits on plans, the premiums can be lowered.
But every plan would have coverage for preventive care, primary care, emergency and urgent care, and hospitalization.
The plans would cost an average of $150 a month.
All applicants between the ages of 19 to 65 years old are guaranteed to be accepted. Part of Governor Crist’s plan is also to allow young adults to stay on their parents’ coverage until 30 years old.
Critics of the Crist’s proposal say the plan won’t do anything to reduce the number of uninsured residents. They argue that people won’t buy the plan because they’ll think the coverage isn’t good enough.
The governor acknowledged it wouldn’t be easy to get every Florida resident insured.
“The goal is to cover everyone. There may be challenges, but our goal is to aim high, ” said Governor Crist.