Iowa House Approves Health Insurance For All Children

Iowa House Approves Health Insurance For All Children in Politics and Legislation

On Tuesday, the Iowa House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill to provide health insurance for all of the state’s children. The measure would set an ambitious goal of covering every child in Iowa by 2011.

Along with expanding the state’s children’s health plans, the bill would allow children up to age 25 stay on their parents’ insurance plan. Students can also keep parents’ coverage until they graduate from college — even if they’re older than 25.

Lawmakers also said the bill is a base for universal health care for all Iowans.

The new legislation also gives all Iowa residents access to a “medical home,” where a health care professional will manage their health care — including keeping straight medical records, health history, and needed medications.

Another provision in the bill would create an electronic medical records system to give care providers more efficient access to a patient’s health information.

Just to insure every child, it will cost the state an estimated $30.8 million, reported the Des Moines Register.

Universal health care for every resident will cost $550 million annually — which includes the costs for taxpayers and Iowa businesses.

Lawmakers haven’t figured out exactly where the funding might come from, but the bill only expands coverage once the funding is available, wrote the Register.

For those wary of universal health care, cost is a big concern.

In Massachusetts, where all residents are required to have insurance, costs have skyrocketed. Thousands more signed up for the state-subsidized health plan than expected — and they’ve even raised the state health insurance premiums.

But Iowa legislators realize that any statewide universal health care plan must control costs.

“Whatever we do has to be sustainable and doable,” said state Representative Ro Foege.

The measure will soon go to the state Senate floor for approval.

“[This is] a bill that is important to the citizens of Iowa and is important to the medical community.” said state Representative Lisa Heddens.

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