Hope for the uninsured in Florida

Gov. Charlie Crist and Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp criss-crossed the state for the third day in a row Wednesday, holding multiple bill signing events to promote a package of health insurance bills that passed the Legislature. The latest is the bill creating Crist's "Cover Florida" plan to offer scaled-down health insurance policies to the uninsured for premiums $150 a month or less.

"It will take away worry. Worry is a terrible thing," Crist said. 

Small business owners Cindy and Dan Perron of Madison praised Crist and legislators for taking steps to help the uninsured get coverage. They employ 12 people at their heating and AC repair business and have had no health insurance for 21 years. "This is what government should do. They work for the people that elect them," Dan Perron said at a press conference -- sounding a lot like the "people's governor" who summoned him to the microphones.

Now state agencies will negotiate with multiple health insurers to develop packages of plans that will include preventative care, screenings, doctor visits, prescription drugs and diabetic care for people 19 to 64 years old.

Nearly 4-million Floridians have no insurance, and people must be uninsured for at least six months to be eligible. Crist hailed the bill (SB 2534) as a triumph of bipartisan teamwork, and with him were Republican Sen. Durell Peaden and Democratic Rep. Curtis Richardson.

Jim Blacher of Florida Association of Health Plans, which represents HMOs and health providers, said: "Yes, our members are excited about the possibility of offering these plans."

Comments

"It will take away worry. Worry is a terrible thing," Crist said.

You should know, sport… One-N-Done is a terrible worry!

[Michelle from Tampa]

This actually sounds like it could work. A step in the right direction IMO.

I had a feeling Crist wasn't as right-wing nutty as people once gave him credit for.

This business owner that hasn't had health insurance for 21 years didn't say he was going to to start offering health insurance to his 12 employees. He seems to be saying he is glad his employees can now maybe buy health insurance through this government sponsored new plan with their own dime.

What they meant to have said was that they have not made available health insurance for their 12 employees for 21 years NOT that THEY went without health insurance.

worry may be a terrible thing - BUT IT'S NOT REAL

what's real is people unable to pay high property taxes

what's real is people unable to fillup their gas tanks because we don't allow drilling 100mi off our coast

etc. etc.
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now on the flipside - so the insurers are now "excited" to be offering these types of plans - well, um, where the HE77 were you before?

Leadership by the governor produces results for Floridians. Discussion session in Tampa about the bill quite informative.