The Capitol Fax Blog » No progress on uninsured?

Thursday, Feb 14, 2008

* A little-noticed aspect of Comptroller Dan Hynes’ recent letter to state legislators about the state’s dire budget straits is this tidbit…

Spending on state sponsored health coverage has grown significantly in the last few years. Liability of the state’s Medicaid plan grew 28% between fiscal years 2003 and 2007. Services provided under the umbrella of state health insurance exceeded $8 billion in fiscal year 2007. […]

While spending more on health care, the number of uninsured in Illinois has not changed significantly. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 1.76 million Illinoisans (13.9% of the population) were uninsured in 2003. In 2006, the estimate of uninsured was 1.78 million, or 14.0% of the state’s population.

The governor’s office claims that the number of insured has increased since that Census report was issued, but the impact - while undoubtedly important to those who now have health insurance - hasn’t been huge overall, despite all the huffing and puffing from the guv.

* Also, as I told you yesterday, the governor’s office blames legislators for the current budget imbalance, but Hynes points out this hole…

Further contributing to a fiscal year 2008 budgetary imbalance, the Medicaid program appears to be underfunded by at least $220 million when compared to the Governor’s original budget projections.

* And this…

Based on current expenditure trends, well over a billion dollars worth of bills are likely to be sitting at DHFS at the end of the year.

* Meanwhile…

Against the backdrop of looming budget problems, Gov. Rod Blagojevich resumed his push Wednesday for an expensive expansion of state healthcare programs.

Lawmakers pushed back, however, saying they still aren’t confident the state has enough money to bankroll the governor’s plan. […]

(M)embers of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules said they wanted to first hear the governor’s budget address, which is scheduled for next Wednesday. In a unanimous vote, the panel said it wouldn’t act on the expansion plan until Feb. 26.

That drew complaints from Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Barry Maram, who is the governor’s point man on health insurance matters.

* Background…

HFS, one of the state agencies under the governor’s control, in November filed an emergency administrative rule to expand the income-eligibility guidelines for Family Care. JCAR blocked the emergency rule from taking effect, but the governor went ahead with his plans. People already are receiving medical care through the expanded program, Rausch said Wednesday.

Blagojevich’s decision to bypass JCAR prompted a court battle, which is ongoing.

- posted by Rich Miller

20 Comments

- GoBearsss - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 9:51 am:
So, what you are saying is that in Illinois, we haven’t seen the skyrocketing number of uninsured that they have seen everywhere else in the country?

So you are saying the Governor’s efforts to provide more people with health care have worked?

- Anon - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 9:52 am:
At thispoint, how can anything that Dan Hynes says be taken seriously, and not viewed as purely political? He has made it clear that he hopes to run for governor some day, and has been taking shots at Blago since day 1. The more political press releases he puts out, the less trust the public will place in Dan Hynes.

- Squideshi - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 10:00 am:
Just like energy production, health insurance should be a state and public responsibility. The ultimate solution to our problem is Medicare for All. It’s a MUCH more efficient system than most commercial insurance companies could even hope to devise.

- Levois - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 10:07 am:
Whatever happened to the 1.4 million uninsured and why did he use that number? Was it the most convienient?

- Ghost - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 10:10 am:
So we have increased State expenses by 28% over the Gov’s term on healthcare spending; have not reduced the number of uninsured; and have not identified revenue to pay for the extra cost.

Gobearss its not the the gov has reduced a speculative increase in uninsured, its that he is spending money the State does not have. The State is hurdling towards a finacial doomsday.

We need some system of a tax on employers who do not provide insurance, a tax on employees without insurance, and govt contribution to allow for a cafeteria plan being made available via private insurance companies to the uninsured.

- GoBearsss - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 10:16 am:
Rich,

You said in CapFax this morning that JCAR “Blocked” the rules.

It looks like, though, that they just decided not to adjourn the meeting so they can come back in 2 weeks to talk about it again.

Why would they do that if they had the votes to block it? That doesn’t make sense.

Maybe that means Madigan wants to compromise, too? Or does it mean that Madigan didn’t have the votes to kill it yet?

- VanillaMan - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 10:24 am:
Health insurance problem? Try AUTO insurance problems!

And I want change - hear me Obama?

Everytime I get my oil change, I have to pay an ever increasing amount! Sometimes I am forced to go extra miles because I just don’t have the money to pay for these oil changes! I know of some people whose cars have not been regularly maintained because of these ever increasing costs. Do you realize how many filthy engines are on our roads due to the high costs of auto maintenance? Just consider the extra pollution that bellows out of every car whose driver is unable to afford these costs.

When I checked with State Farm, they tell me that my auto insurance doesn’t cover maintenance items. Yet they still expect me to pay every six months an ever increasing amount! It is a travesty that we do not have a government willing to take on the auto insurance industry and force them to cover every driver fairly. It is unreasonable that we have to continue paying auto insurance that fails to maintain our cars!

What ought to happen is that state government, or federal government give us universal auto insurance so that we don’t have to pay ever increasing costs of automobile driving. If everyone had universal coverage, we would all have healthier cars, air, environment and drivers. There would be no more ever increasing costs of oil changes and gasoline. We would be able to drive free! Auto insurance companies should be forced to cover every driver on universal auto coverage, regardless of their ability to pay. If everyone was under universal auto insurance coverage, we would be able to catch up with other Western European countries with similar universal coverage, such as Andorra, San Marino, and Monaco. Since enacting similar coverages, these countries have seen costs stabilize among the dozens or so auto drivers within each country. Monaco is even smart enough to tax that auto race they are forced to hold every year.

If everyone had free auto insurance, we would save billions and have wonderful long healthy lives, perhaps even living forever.

Whatdayasay? UNIVERSAL AUTO INSURANCE!

- one of the 35 - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 10:28 am:
The numbers of uninsured are interesting and important. As a moderate, I am unable to offer a viable solution to the problem. Liberals correctly point out that it is unfair to have this many people who can’t afford healthcare and doom them to a life of heightened morbidity and shorter life span. Conservatives are correct when they ask how we are going to pay to provide healthcare to all. I think that this is an important problem for which America must find a solution. The Swedish, quasi socialist solution has resulted in tax rates which are extraordinarily high. The Canadian solution does not appear to function well. A new concept must be developed to deal with this issue. Perhaps an expansion of current programs proving care for low to moderate income people could be considered? Specific amounts of tax dollars could fund care through hospitals and physicians much as Medicare provides coverage to seniors. But, just as current employer provided plans have caps, such caps could be applied to limit the cost of providing service. Some health care is beeter than none.

- Southern Right - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 10:29 am:
At what point do we all agree that our current government leaders are failing on healthcare as they have at education. I keep listening to the all knowing, all seeing Democrats in Illinois. You are on top forever, the Republicans are in chaos. When the ether wears off, you all will see how much damage has been done to the state and to your party. One of the answers to the rising cost of healthcare is to increase the number of providers and being available.

- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 10:36 am:
In the Governor’s defense, the Census Bureau finds year-by-year trends unreliable measures and instead uses 3 year trends.

Illinois’ 3 year average (2004-2006) is 13.6%, which is much lower than Texas, Florida and California while on par with New York.

I think the most important point is that the voters are ahead of the Governor and state lawmakers on this one.

While voters rate health care among their top concerns in polling, the polling also shows that most voters view this as a problem for the federal government — not the state government — to address.

Ironically, Massachusetts and Tennessee, which have their own state-sponsored “universal” health care programs, have uninsurance rates of 10.3% and 13.4%, respectively.

- Fan of the Game - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 10:37 am:
Health care is not a state responsibility no matter how many times you say it is. And Medicare for all? Do you know what the current unfunded liability is for Medicare? Medicare is going to bankrupt this country, but you think that’s the model for our state?

- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 10:39 am:
VANILLA MAN -

I know you were trying to be tongue-in-cheek, but in fact Illinois already has a universal auto-insurance mandate, but it has the same enforcement problems that any system that relies on the free market has, and it does not cover illegal aliens (can’t get a driver’s license, can’t get insurance).

We also have a universal home owners’ insurance program, atleast for anyone who has a mortgage.

- GoBearsss - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 10:42 am:
(snicker)

Pingback In Chambers » Don’t Forget: Guv Shot Himself in Foot on Health Care - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 12:26 pm:
[…] Cap Fax Blog today highlighted some of the more interesting but largely unnoticed points of state Comptroller Dan Hynes’ recent report on state finances. […]

- Budget Watcher - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 12:31 pm:
The interesting part of the Hynes analysis was that Medicaid grew 28% over 4 years and the growth rate would have been much greater if not for the conversion of much of the older clients’ drug costs from Medicaid to Medicare Part D. Without Medicare D, Medicaid would have grown even faster, and almost certainly will over the next 4 years.

Too much of the healthcare debate centers upon who responsible for paying for costs and not enough is being done on how to keep costs contained within affordable levels. As a result, healthcare continues to price itself right out of the reach for more and more people. In aggregate, our country simply pays too much for healthcare to too few.

- BIG R.PH. - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 12:31 pm:
Do you mean to tell me that the Great Liberal Utopian Society doesn’t work?

Are you telling me that we actually have to pay the bills that are associated with covering these folks?

I am currently paid for claims thru 10/27/07. We are past a fiscal trainwreck!! Less than 1 second for a claim to be adjudicated and 112 days for payment!

Meanwhile, that product has to be paid for 9 times before I get paid once!!

Here’s a revelation. Before you make a promise to somebody (whether coverage or payment) make sure that you can fulfill that promise. Otherwise it is called LYING and that is why politicians and beaurecrats can’t be trusted.

Now you want solutions?

Pay ALL vouchers in the order that they come in. That means that mama medicaid has to wait for her welfare check just like healthcare providers. Make employees wait for their checks. Make retirees wait for their checks. Then (and only then) will something be done!

- VanillaMan - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 2:48 pm:
“I know you were trying to be tongue-in-cheek, but in fact Illinois already has a universal auto-insurance mandate, but it has the same enforcement problems that any system that relies on the free market has, and it does not cover illegal aliens (can’t get a driver’s license, can’t get insurance).”

Yellow Dog -

Your response sounds like it could have been written by a grimacing Scrooge who had forgotten his donut air cushion after he took his Metamucil.

My response was in fun, but your attempts to claim that auto/mortgage/health insurance doesn’t work because of some free market enforcement problem isn’t.

Your parody is far more imaginative.

- DHS Disaster - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 7:47 pm:
How come we continue to add programs for families who can pay for medical cover family care expansion but wont becauase takes to much of their budgets but we will not offer a program for single individuals who are not working so they can get their medications? In order for a single individual to get medical coverage they must be aged, blind or disabled, have a baby get insurance.

- Frank Sobotka - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 10:17 pm:
“Pay ALL vouchers in the order that they come in. That means that mama medicaid has to wait for her welfare check just like healthcare providers. Make employees wait for their checks. Make retirees wait for their checks. Then (and only then) will something be done!”

Yup, something will happen allright.
The Fed will step in and pull our federal match for those items, and then the IL taxpayer will be on the line for the whole $60 billion budget instead of just part. Good plan.

- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 14, 08 @ 10:28 pm:
LOL. Another simplistic plan vaporized.

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