bridge to reform

Counties consider public option as part of healthcare reform

As California begins to build a new health benefits marketplace that will be part of federal health reform, counties are debating whether to allow their public health insurance programs to be among the plans offered to consumers. Orange County has quickly decided to keep its public program out of the marketplace, but other counties, including Santa Barbara and San Francisco, may go the other way.

Uninsured in the Central Valley eager for health care reform

The Bridge to Reform is a $10 billion program that will transition low-income residents in California to a Medicare-like health coverage before the 2014 federal health care coverage mandate kicks in. That funding could bring much-needed changes, like providing patients with a medical home where they can get preventative care and where their medical histories are kept on file. But cash-strapped counties are worried – will the costs of extending coverage overrun their available funds, even with help from federal dollars?

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