Health plan advances in state Senate

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – April 3, 2008 – There’s some promising news from the state capital for the thousands of Florida Realtors seeking affordable health insurance. Yesterday, a Senate committee unanimously approved a bill that would allow private insurers to offer preventive, primary and urgent care coverage, including hospitalization, to individuals, with some types of coverage costing as little as $150 a month.
 
SB 2534 by Sen. Durell Peaden (R-Crestview) cleared the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and is headed to the Senate floor. Currently, there is no House companion to the bill; but with a little over three weeks left in the session, it’s possible for this FAR-supported bill to still see action in the House.
 
The measure is part of Gov. Charlie Crist’s “Cover Florida” initiative to provide flexible health benefits to the more than 3.8 million uninsured Floridians.

Two types of coverage would be available to persons currently uninsured for six months. A non-catastrophic plan would cover basics such as annual physicals and doctor visits for when patients get sick. A catastrophic plan, at a higher cost, would include emergency room treatment, outpatient surgery and hospitalization, but it would still limit the use of certain services to keep costs down. Insurers would also cap benefits and specify co-payments.
 
Coverage would be guaranteed to anyone aged 19 to 64, and policyholders would be able to keep dependents covered until the age of 30.

© 2008 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
 

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