CODY — a panel of health insurance experts shared the state’splan to offer alternatives to the American Care Act on Tuesdaynight, saying that Wyoming needs to create a bottom-up strategythat meets the state’s unique challenges.
The message, however, didn’t gel with a few members of theaudience, who accused the state of taking federal funding toresolve the state’s health care problems while also suing thegovernment to stop the American Care Act from beingimplemented.
The topic, “A Wyoming Solution to Health Care Reform,” touchedon the possibilities and challenges of creating a state-basedhealth insurance exchange to help cover the state’s 83,000uninsured residents.
As envisioned, the exchange would serve as a Web-basedmarketplace where individuals and small business owners couldcompare the price and quality of health insurance and review theproducts in everyday language.
“The fundamental function of an exchange is to allow people toshop and compare,” said Rep. Elaine Harvey, R-Lovell, and a memberof the state’s health care committee. “It’s where everybody comestogether in one place.”
Harvey said that such an exchange could help improve the overallcost and quality of health care in Wyoming. it could make medicalbilling easier for both the provider and the patient, and makepurchasing the right insurance plan easier for consumers and smallbusinesses.
While the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the American CareAct in June, Harvey said, the state must be prepared to resolve itshealth care problems whether the ACA survives or not.
“We don’t want the federal government doing this for us,” Harveysaid. “But there’s still 83,000 people out there without insurance.Do we say that because you have no money, you don’t deserve healthcare?”
Elizabeth Hoy, the health care policy advisor under Gov. MattMead, said the state is attempting to create a bottom-up strategythat could be implemented in place of the American Care Act.
But Hoy said a Wyoming-run health insurance exchange could alsobe a challenge for the state and its small population base. Becauseit would be supported by a per-member monthly premium, costs couldrise with fewer participants.
“We may also have larger administration fees, because you’llhave people manning phones, running computers and the [Internet]side,” said Hoy. “But because of our state’s small size, there’salso opportunity for efficiency.”
Hoy also touched on the geographical challenges. the state ishome to only 500,000 people who live in small population pocketsover a large geographical region.
Many, she said, already drive 70 miles one way to access care.given the large cities surrounding the state, including Denver;Salt Lake City; Rapid City, S.D., and Billings, Mont., many alreadyleave Wyoming for less expensive care.
“There’s infrastructure that can’t be built in Wyoming becausepeople go out of state,” she said. “It may be important thatwhatever product we sell, we sell across state lines. if you watcha Billings station, are you going to get Wyoming news? It’s goingto be difficult to get the word out.”
The possibility of creating a state-run health benefits exchangeproved a tough sell to some in the audience who were resistant tothe panel from the start. Several argued self responsibility whenlambasting the state’s plan to cover the uninsured and to fend offthe American Care Act.
Others went after the state’s poor and infirm in making theirpoint. One man said health care wasn’t required under the bill ofRights. Some blamed apathy for the reason that many state residentsdidn’t have health insurance.
“When I go to Walmart and around town here, half the people Isee either look like they’re sick or should be, because they’re insuch poor physical condition,” said one man. “When I was young,getting sick was not allowed. There’s a lot of people in thiscounty who don’t take good care of themselves.”
Another man told the panel that he wasn’t insured, but “he’s notcrying about it.” in a rhetorical manner, he asked Hoy and Harveyif the state or federal government should be in the business ofhealth care.
“There’s a cost to society when people don’t have healthinsurance,” Hoy replied. “There is some element of health carewhich is essentially a public good. without a healthy population,we can’t have healthy workers, we can’t have educated children, andwe can’t have a strong democracy.”
Hoy will be looking for input from Wyoming residents as shecontinues her seven-city tour that also includes Gillette, Casper,Rock Springs, Jackson, Riverton and Cheyenne.
The results will be reviewed by the Wyoming Health BenefitsExchange Steering Committee. the committee is expected to meet inCasper in March.