United Way Health Care Plan Open for Input

None by KCPW

Low-income Advocates Express Concern

(KCPW News) The United Way wants the public to chime in on its proposal to combat poverty. The recommendations range from requiring all Utahns to buy health insurance to creating an automatic investment account for every baby. Halfway through the two-month public comment period, Bill Crim of the United Way says the response has been small, but meaningful:

Most of the comments coming in are directed towards health care, and the vast majority are saying 'Boy we're sure glad someone is tackling this problem,'" says Crim.

The United Way proposal centers on the state creating a non-profit exchange that will match small businesses and individuals with affordable health plans using pre-tax dollars. The Massachusetts Healthcare Plan uses a similar exchange. But low-income advocate Bill Tibbitts of the Anti-Hunger Action Committee says the plan does little for the poorest Utahns:

"Beginning health care reform efforts with the part of the Massachusetts plan geared to help middle income people - and potentially funding that at the expense of helping low-income people - seems like doing things backwards," says Tibbitts.

Tibbitts says the state should first focus on expanding government health care programs like CHIP and Medicaid to help the neediest in Utah. Crim says the United Way's plan is attempting a balance that will make health care more accessible and affordable. And that may include more funding for government programs, according to the proposal. Crim says the public is welcome to submit comments until November 15th. After that, state lawmakers will receive the United Way's final recommendations.

View the United Way Financial Stability Council proposal and submit comments at www.u-w.org.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW