By Adam Levin
Texas Insider Report: Washington D.C. Over 370 state bills related to the Affordable Care Act have been introduced this legislative session says Martha Saenz Health Program Policy Associate at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). While federal court rulings against President Obamas health care overhaul have gotten a lot of attention recently not every state government is against the law.
In fact some are even moving ahead with efforts to support its implementation.
One major development happened Feb. 16 when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded seven cooperative agreements aimed at assisting a group of states designated as Early Innovators in creating the infrastructure to operate health insurance exchanges.
The states which will divide up the $241 million are Kansas Maryland New York Oklahoma Oregon Wisconsin and a multi-state entity led by the University of Massachusetts Medical School that consists of Connecticut Maine Massachusetts Rhode Island and Vermont.
Below a closer look at five states that have been supportive of the overhaul.
California
California has been among the most active states in implementing reform. While former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger initially opposed Obamas plan he ultimately signed into law a number of bills enacting reform before leaving office in January.
Assembly Bill 1602 and Senate Bill 900 both signed into law on Sept. 30 2010 made California the first state to create independent health insurance exchanges for individuals and small businesses.
To date 21 states have followed Californias lead and created their own exchanges. The California Health Benefit Exchange as the program is known
is to be overseen by a five-person panel.
California was in a unique position to take legislative action since they were among the few states still in session with time to introduce legislation when the Affordable Care Act had passed at the end of March said Saenz.
Another notable bill signed by Schwarzenegger was Assembly Bill 2244 a measure that made it illegal in California for an insurance company to deny an insurance policy to a child with a preexisting condition.
All in all according to NCSL the California legislature has enacted six bills relating to health care reform into law the highest number of any state.
Massachusetts
With its own state reforms serving as a model for the federal overhaul Massachusetts was ahead of the game.
In 2006 then-Governor Mitt Romney signed into law a bill creating a health insurance exchange for the state. According to Massachusetts Health Connector the independent state agency charged with operating the exchange the law has enabled 98 of Massachusetts residents to obtain health insurance coverage.
But Massachusetts did not stop at the creation of their exchange.
SB 2585 signed by Governor Deval Patrick in August 2010 created a small group wellness incentive program that would allow such groups to receive federal health care tax credits.
Another significant aspect of the law is that it forces the states Commissioner of Insurance Joseph Murphy to apply for and accept any available federal health care funding.
Maryland
While Maryland has yet to create a statewide health insurance exchange that does not mean that legislators in the Old Line State have failed to take any action.
SB 57 signed by Governor Martin OMalley in April 2010 implemented a number of parts of the federal health care reform law including a provision barring insurance companies from denying coverage to children with pre-
existing conditions as well as ensuring that people under the age of 26 may remain of their parents plan if they elect to.
OMalley has been one of the more active state executives in leading the charge to implement health care.
He created via executive order the Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council and is on record as stating this his goal is to provide an additional 350000 Maryland residents with health insurance through reform efforts.
Rhode Island
The commission created by Rhode Island to study health care reform implantation was given a broad range of responsibilities. SB 3021 adopted in June 2010 created a 17-member Senate commission charged with studying cost containment efficiency and transparency hospitals treatment of patients and rate reimbursements.
The commission which is also responsible for studying the creation of the states insurance exchange has been stipulated to have regular meetings and is set to deliver a report on its findings to the Clerk on the Senate by May 31 2011.
New Mexico
Early last year Gov. Bill Richardson issued Executive Order 2010-012 that simultaneously time created the New Mexico Health Care Reform leadership team and required the drafting of a plan for implementing health reform by that group no later than July 1 2010.
The plan which Richardson mandated must include all necessary data an analysis of the effect the legislation will have on the state budget an analysis of how existing state programs will change and a timeline for implementation was accepted by the Governor in July 2010.
The plan a 120-page document that is divided into 13 sections covers details ranging from the broad (the expansion of publicly funded benefits) to the very specific (Native American health).
The states Human Services Department has been designated as the primary agency responsible for supporting the leadership teams implementation blueprint.
In all according to Saenz 31 states have created some sort of implementation entity meaning that even a few states that are party to one of the suits filed against the law have nonetheless begun compliance efforts.
