Health Care Legislation Gets Negative Reviews

Peter Neurath in the Puget Sound Business Journal reports that business groups remain skeptical about health care legislation passed this session.

Democrats in Olympia backed away from a total state takeover of the small-business health insurance market, but business groups still opposed a weaker version of the so-called "connector" bill that passed during the final days of this year's legislative session.

... The measure creates a new state agency called the Washington Health Insurance Partnership (WHIP), which will connect health insurers and small businesses looking for coverage for their employees.

We've written a lot about it here. Mellani McAleenan sums up AWB's view nicely.

[The WHIP is] based loosely on the connector model embraced by Massachusetts, said Mellani McAleenan, a legislative affairs director with the Association of Washington Business (AWB).

"We have seen no real indication that it will work and believe there are a number of potential pitfalls," she said of the connector concept.

This is just the first step.

Business interests seem to suspect the creation of the Washington Health Insurance Partnership is just the first move toward more state control of health insurance.

And they may have good reason. Keiser, who chairs the Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee, said, "I consider this bill a transition step towards a fuller reform that will incorporate many other health-care markets in the next few years."

That's a step too far.

Yesterday's New York Times has a cautionary tale about another state that tried to take on comprehensive health care reform. Reformers seem unable to come to grips with the reality that most people have health insurance and are satisfied with their coverage. We should concentrate on expanding what's working well to assure more people have access to affordable insurance plans.