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  • Selig testifies before joint committee

The House and Senate Public Health committees met today to hear updates on the “private option” plan for expanding healthcare coverage. Key Republican lawmakers — particularly Rep. John Burris, Sen. Jonathan Dismang, and Sen. David Sanders — have been working closely on an informal basis with the Department of Human Services and the Insurance Department to develop the policy details since the session ended, but frequent check-ins with other lawmakers are likely in the interim between sessions. Burris said he anticipates meeting on the plan at least on a monthly basis, and said there was a need for “legislative input…to make sure it’s implemented correctly.” He noted several times that a legislative supermajority approval for the appropriation will be needed each year. Should be fun!

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DHS Director John Selig, Surgeon General Joe Thompson, and Exchange Director Cynthia Crone testified. After the jump, some of the policy details and lingering questions that emerged.

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