Healthcare issues are important for all of Vest Pocket's members. If our voices are going to be heard, we need to clarify our position on all of the issues that concern us. These are the initial topics that the healthcare committee is addressing:

Mandates

The Vest Pocket Business Coalition opposes any mandate that requires businesses to provide health insurance for its employees. If appropriate insurance policies are available and affordable, businesses are likely to purchase the products voluntarily.

Utah's Health Insurance Exchange

Enrollment in Utah's Health Insurance Exchange program is closed until March 2010. Vest Pocket's Healthcare Committee is currently evaluating the program in order to determine the specific benefits and/or disadvantages for small businesses.

Definition of an Ideal Health Insurance Product for Small Businesses

There are 351 companies that can offer health insurance products in Utah. Every one of these companies has many different policies to chose from. The complexity of this situation is overwhelming.

Instead of sifting through all of the options to try to find suitable products for small businesses, Vest Pocket's Healthcare Committee is working on defining an insurance product that is truly small business friendly. The hope is that at least one of the 351 health insurance companies will then offer products that are affordable and attractive to small businesses.

To start the discussion, these are some of the features that can be considered:

1. A large risk pool. There are approximately 200,000 small businesses in Utah that represent about 800,000 citizens

2. Premiums, co-pays, and deductibles that are at least comparable to the best public or private policies that are now available in the state

3. Clearly-defined, understandable, and easily-accessible benefit and payment tables

4. Open access to any willing provider

5. Prescription drug coverage

6. No lifetime caps

7. No exclusions for pre-existing conditions

8. Transparency: Accountability for every dollar spent. Documentation of administrative vs. clinical expenses. Clear justification of any premium increases

9. Not-for-profit

Every Vest Pocket member's input is important to this process. Please contact me with your questions and comments.

Lauren O. Florence M.D. treadlightly This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 801-264-9111