Who Knew? California May Have a Public Option

[kpete]

Who Knew? California May Have a Public Option
Posted: 1/14/12 05:43 PM ET

During the health reform debate, there was controversy and disappointment over the failure to include a public option in the Affordable Care Act. Not only did the public option idea not die, it is alive and well in California.

In northern California last week, Kaiser Health News correspondent Sarah Varney interviewed the CEO of the Alameda Alliance for Health, Ingrid Lamirault, about their intention to participate in the California Health Benefit Exchange when it goes live in 2014. The Alameda Alliance is a non-profit insurer (governed locally) that competes with private for-profit plans in the county to deliver health services to Medicaid beneficiaries (called "Medi-Cal&quot and public employees.

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Why is this important and is it "news"? It's important because many of us felt all along that public options could still spring up at the state level, despite lack of support from Washington. The fact that the Alameda Alliance wants to participate in the Exchange as a public option is validation of that hope. It's news because, although many of California's managed care Medi-Cal programs have been working successfully for over a decade (and I have written about them here), this is the first time that we have heard publicly that one of these programs will expand its services to the broader public because of health reform. Even though it's a small step, and only a few counties may participate at first, it should give encouragement to those who have been so strongly supportive of a public option and single payer program in health reform.

MORE DETAILS:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-bergthold/who-knew-california-may-h_b_1206662.html

[onehandle]

1. As California goes... nt