In California, San Mateo County officials want to expand health insurance coverage to as many as 44,000 residents.
The county’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Adult Healthcare Expansion recently voted on a plan to offer affordable coverage for any resident earning too much to qualify for current health care programs, but can’t pay for private insurance.
Coverage would be administered by the Health Plan of San Mateo, which currently oversees Medicare and Medi-Cal, the health care program for the poor, reported the Burlingame Daily News.
The plan also focuses on controlling costs — emphasizing preventive care, better management of chronic conditions, partnerships with private hospitals, and improving communication between care providers.
Residents who earn up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level would be eligible for coverage. They would be responsible for monthly premiums of around $100.
But the county could subsidize around $200 monthly, estimated one consultant. That means the program would cost anywhere from $100 million to $150 million a year.
The 36 representatives in the Blue Ribbon Task Force are considering a number of different ways to fund the program.
One possibility would be to require the county’s employers to contribute a yet-to-be determined amount. Another idea is to increase the sales tax.
Both funding proposals have small business owners on edge. They’re worried it will put too much burden on businesses that can’t afford to pay.
“We just want to make sure it is a shared approach and we don’t put the burden of this on the back of small businesses, ” said task force representative, Dan Cruey.