Task Force Fatigue Kills Hopes for Lawmaker Study of Small Business Health Care Needs

None by Lara Jones

Health Care Advocacy Group Will Attempt Own Study

(KCPW News) A plan by Representative Steven Mascaro to study the health insurance needs of small businesses fell victim to task force fatigue on Capitol Hill, says Judi Hilman, executive director of the Utah Health Policy Project. She says her group will attempt to do the work of such a task force:

"We're going to be studying that issue and raising the dollars to conduct that actuarial analysis anyway. What happened is when that bill was to be heard, the leadership decided they didn't want any task forces this year - unbeknownst to us."

An advocate for health care reform, the Utah Health Policy Project will seek to quantify the cost and increased risk associated with opening Utah's Public Employees Health Program to small businesses. Hilman says the UHPP will also keep its eye on the Governor's Office of Economic Development, to which lawmakers entrusted $350,000 to study and roll out The Exchange, a duplicate of the Massachusetts Connector plan:

"We're going to have to fight tooth and nail to make sure we're not replicating the [Massachusetts] Connector in a silly way; in other words, without the affordability provisions in place."

To hear more from Hilman on health care needs and reforms, download the Midday Metro podcast.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom and 2007 Legislative Coverage. Copyright 2008 KCPW