States and Health Insurance Coverage

Vermont health plan advances, By Janet Adamy, May 25, 2011, Wall Street Journal: “Vermont is moving one step closer to a goal of its Democratic governor: a state-run health plan that would insure most of its 625,000 residents. The bill Gov. Peter Shumlin plans to sign on Thursday would create a panel whose goal would be to figure out how to pay for a new system intended to reduce the rate of overall health-cost increases. The challenge is to figure out how to finance such a system and convince the federal government to allow the experiment to proceed as soon as 2017. It’s far from clear Vermont can make it all work…”
Hickenlooper vetoes bill raising premiums for some in Colorado health program, By Lynn Bartels, June 1, 2011, Denver Post: “Gov. John Hickenlooper issued his first veto Tuesday, nixing a measure that would have required certain parents whose children are enrolled in a state health care plan to pay higher premiums. Hickenlooper said Senate Bill 213 would have increased premium costs a ‘dramatic’ 1,000 percent, possibly pushing as many as 2,500 kids out of a program intended to help those struggling financially. Various groups, including the Colorado Children’s Campaign and Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, hailed the veto, as did several Democratic lawmakers. But Republicans said the Democratic governor missed his chance at entitlement reform…”