Patrick Henry Caucus members oppose high-risk insurance pool in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah chapter of the Patrick Henry Caucus is reiterating its opposition to the federal government's plan to implement a high-risk insurance pool in the state.

Members of the caucus, who are also members of the state Legislature and voiced passionate opposition to federal reforms of any kind during this past session, said Monday they are also passionately opposed to the federal government being responsible for making sure that Utahns who can't get insurance through regular private policies because of disabilities or pre-existing conditions aren't, by default, placed under an expanded federal insurance plan. That plan would be part of the health care reform approved in Congress two months ago.

The state can continue its own high-risk pool, but to do so means Utah would be responsible for underwriting another estimated 11,000 high-risk Utahns who don't have coverage now.

"We call on Governor Herbert, Speaker Clark and President Waddoups to stand with the Patrick Henry Caucus and with the citizens of Utah as we tell the federal government that we will not go along to get along — not now, not ever," said Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, who sponsored legislation approved this past session that requires a year lag time before Utah follows any federal health care reform mandates. It also requires that federal reforms don't interfere with or supplant Utah's own reform efforts.

The federal reform's basic tenet — access to basic health care for all Americans — poses a number of problems for states, most of which have budgets that have been battered by a combination of a faltering economy and the continued high cost of coverage health care services, particularly for residents covered by the public Medicaid insurance plan.

The issue has become the dividing line between reformers who say the health care system is shut to at least 15 percent of the population who can't afford insurance coverage and those who have not been excluded by the system. Those without insurance, reformers argue, actually increase the cost of medical care because they are forced to go to high-priced emergency rooms for even minor health problems.

Private insurers have committed to altering their offerings to broaden coverage for those who are simply going without. The federal plan mandates that states come up with some kind of private/public partnership to provide that coverage, or the federal government will simply do it for them.

Those in Utah charged with implementing federal reforms, as well as continuing Utah's own reform effort, told lawmakers last week that, while they have no intention of backing down or capitulating to federal reforms, the state must find ways to work with what is now the law of the land.

Wimmer and caucus members Rep. Bill Wright, R-Holden; Rep. Christopher Herrod, R-Provo; and Sen. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said Utah must just say no to the federal government reforms, regardless of the motivation.

"Utah should take the lead and oppose taking any federal money," Adams said, noting that even accepting a penny of help to expand Utah's high-risk pool is accepting less liberty for all Utahns.

e-mail: jthalman@desnews.com