Wyoming may study the financial impact of opening up the state’s insurance plan to residents
Those living in Wyoming may have a new option when it comes to health insurance coverage. The Wyoming Department of Health may study the possibility of allowing all those living in the state to join its existing insurance plan. The state’s Joint Appropriations Committee has approved to add the study to a two-year budget legislation that has been introduced. Lawmakers want to task the Department of Health with building a report concerning the financial impact of allowing residents to join the state’s insurance plan.
Consumers may be able to benefit from the state’s insurance plan
The report will highlight the number of people that have insurance coverage from the private market. It will also seek to address ways to successfully incorporate consumers into the state’s insurance plan, if they desire to take advantage of the plan. For some, this may be a less expensive option when compared to coverage offered through the private market. The state has chosen not to expand its Medicaid program, so those that would have qualified for this program may be able to gain coverage through the state’s plan.
Lawmakers are not certain if the state’s insurance plan should be made available to consumers
State lawmakers have not yet determined if the state’s insurance plan will be open to all residents in the future. Consumers looking for coverage may need to qualify for the plan in much the same way they do for Medicaid coverage. There is no telling whether or not the state’s insurance plan will actually happen, as some lawmakers are opposed to this idea. Supporters of the measure believe that it will reduce the cost of health insurance coverage, while others suggest that opening the state’s insurance plan to residents is unnecessary.
Consumers continue to seek out affordable health insurance coverage
Wyoming is often criticized for not having its own health insurance plan to state residents, especially because the state chose not to expand access to Medicaid. While consumers can find coverage through the state’s insurance exchange, this coverage is not always affordable. State residents have been calling for a dedicated insurance plan that they can take advantage of for some time.
