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2003 General Session
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HB 64 restructured Wyoming's child health insurance program to extend eligibility for insurance coverage to a larger number of presently uninsured children.
Wyoming's existing program, called the Kid Care Program, was established in 1999. It provides two tiers of insurance assistance for uninsured children from low-income families.
First, the program provides Medicaid coverage for children in families whose gross monthly income is at or below 133% of the federal poverty level. And second, children in families whose income is from 133%-150% of the federal poverty level are eligible to receive vouchers to purchase a private insurance policy.
HB 64 marks the third attempt since the inception of the Kid Care Program to extend insurance eligibility to a larger number of uninsured children from low-income families. In 2001 and 2002, legislation was proposed that would have extended eligibility to children in families with incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty level, and one proposal would have extended voucher eligibility from 200%-250% of the poverty level. Both pieces of legislation failed (see HB 335, 2001, and HB 65, 2002, in the 2001-2002 ESPC LAP book for more details).
HB 64 replaced the existing Kid Care Program with a program for children in families with a maximum gross monthly income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. To eligible children, the state would provide a health insurance plan offered through a private insurance company.
The Department of Health reports a monthly average enrollment under the current Kid Care Program of 3,000 children. They estimate that about 6,000 additional (currently uninsured) children would qualify under the eligibility guidelines proposed in HB 64.
Proponents of HB 64 maintained that the cost of expanding the child health insurance program to reach more uninsured children is a good investment. They noted that health care costs are driven up for everyone when low-income families are forced to use expensive emergency room care because they couldn't afford preventive or earlier care at a regular doctor's office.
Proponents also pointed out other results of poor health care for children, including impaired performance in school and lost work time for parents.
Opponents objected to HB 64 primarily because of its cost, and worried that federal funding might not be available to maintain the program in the future.
During House debate, the bill's appropriation was amended down from a total of $3,042,400 to $2,418,197. Only about 27% of the appropriation ($657,991) will come from the General Fund, with the remainder ($1,760206) coming from federal funds.
HB 64 also was modified to apply to children in families whose monthly income is at or below 185% of the federal poverty level until July 2005, after which time it will apply to families whose income is at or below 200% of the poverty level.
Thus amended, HB 64 was passed by the House 53-7.
The Senate did not further modify the bill, and passed it unanimously.
The votes listed below are House and Senate Third Reading (final passage) votes.
A YES vote means the legislator supported offering insurance coverage to a larger number of presently uninsured children from low income families.
A NO vote means the legislator did not support expanding Wyoming's child health insurance program to a larger number of children.
| Bighorn Basin Legislators | House 3rd 2/3/03 | Senate 3rd 2/27/03 |
|
| S 18 | Hank Coe (R) | Yes | |
| H 24 | Colin Simpson (R) | Yes | |
| H 50 | Pat Childers (R) | No | |
| S 19 | Laness D. Northrup (R) | Yes | |
| H 25 | Alan Jones (R) | Yes | |
| H 26 | Elaine Harvey (R) | Yes | |
| S 20 | Gerald E. Geis (R) | Yes | |
| H 27 | Jane Wostenberg (R) | Yes | |
| H 28 | Micheal Baker (R) | No | |
| Casper-Area Legislators | House 3rd 2/3/03 | Senate 3rd 2/27/03 |
|
| S 27 | John Barrasso (R) | Yes | |
| H 35 | Roy Cohee (R) | No | |
| H 36 | Liz Gentile (D) | Yes | |
| S 28 | Keith Goodenough (D) | Yes | |
| H 56 | Tom Walsh (R) | Yes | |
| H 57 | Thomas A. Lockhart (R) | Yes | |
| S 29 | Bill Hawks (R) | Yes | |
| H 37 | Steve Harshman (R) | Yes | |
| H 59 | Mary Gilmore (D) | Yes | |
| S 30 | Charles K. Scott (R) | Yes | |
| H 38 | Bob Brechtel (R) | Yes | |
| H 58 | Ann Robinson (D) | Yes | |
| Cheyenne-Area Legislators | House 3rd 2/3/03 | Senate 3rd 2/27/03 |
|
| S 4 | April Brimmer Kunz (R) | Yes | |
| H 7 | Tony Ross (R) | Yes | |
| H 41 | Becket Hinckley (R) | Yes | |
| S 5 | John Hanes (R) | Yes | |
| H 8 | Larry Meuli (R) | Yes | |
| H 42 | Pete Illoway (R) | Yes | |
| S 6 | Rich Cathcart (D) | Yes | |
| H 9 | Wayne Johnson (R) | Yes | |
| H 10 | Rodney "Pete" Anderson (R) | Yes | |
| S 7 | Kathryn Sessions (D) | Yes | |
| H 11 | Wayne Reese (D) | Yes | |
| H 43 | Ed Prosser (R) | Yes | |
| S 8 | E. Jayne Mockler (D) | Yes | |
| H 12 | Layton Morgan (D) | Yes | |
| H 44 | Floyd Esquibel (D) | Yes | |
| Gillette-Area Legislators | House 3rd 2/3/03 | Senate 3rd 2/27/03 |
|
| S 23 | John Hines (R) | Yes | |
| H 31 | Jene Jansen (R) | Yes | |
| H 52 | George McMurtrey (R) | Yes | |
| S 24 | Richard A. Erb (R) | Yes | |
| H 32 | Jeff Wasserburger (R) | Yes | |
| H 53 | Frank Latta (R) | Yes | |
| Lander/Riverton-Area Legislators | House 3rd 2/3/03 | Senate 3rd 2/27/03 |
|
| S 25 | Cale Case (R) | Yes | |
| H 33 | Harry Tipton (R) | Yes | |
| H 54 | Del McOmie (R) | Yes | |
| S 26 | Robert A. Peck (R) | Yes | |
| H 34 | Frank Philp (R) | No | |
| H 55 | David Miller (R) | Yes | |
| Northeast/East Central WY Legislators | House 3rd 2/3/03 | Senate 3rd 2/27/03 |
|
| S 1 | Bill Barton (R) | Yes | |
| H 1 | Mark Semlek (R) | Yes | |
| H 2 | Ross Diercks (D) | Yes | |
| S 2 | Jim Anderson (R) | Yes | |
| H 5 | James C. Hageman (R) | No | |
| H 6 | Dave Edwards (R) | Yes | |
| S 3 | Curt Meier (R) | Yes | |
| H 3 | Deborah Alden (R) | Yes | |
| H 4 | Edward A. Buchanan (R) | Yes | |
| Sheridan-Area Legislators | House 3rd 2/3/03 | Senate 3rd 2/27/03 |
|
| S 21 | Bruce Burns (R) | Yes | |
| H 29 | Jerry Iekel (R) | Yes | |
| H 51 | Rosie Berger (R) | Yes | |
| S 22 | John Schiffer (R) | Yes | |
| H 30 | Jack Landon (R) | No | |
| H 40 | Doug Osborn (R) | Yes | |
| South Central WY Legislators | House 3rd 2/3/03 | Senate 3rd 2/27/03 |
|
| S 9 | Mike Massie (D) | Yes | |
| H 13 | Jane Warren (D) | Yes | |
| H 45 | Lorna Johnson (D) | Yes | |
| S 10 | Irene Devin (R) | Yes | |
| H 14 | Phil Nicholas (R) | Yes | |
| H 46 | James Slater (R) | Yes | |
| S 11 | Bill Vasey (D) | Yes | |
| H 15 | George Bagby (D) | Yes | |
| H 47 | Kurt Bucholz (R) | No | |
| Southwest WY Legislators | House 3rd 2/3/03 | Senate 3rd 2/27/03 |
|
| S 12 | Rae Lynn Job (D) | Yes | |
| H 48 | Marty Martin (D) | Yes | |
| H 16 | Pete Jorgensen (D) | Yes | |
| S 13 | Tex Boggs (D) | Yes | |
| H 17 | Fred Parady (R) | Yes | |
| H 60 | Bill Thompson (D) | Yes | |
| S 14 | Larry Caller (D) | Yes | |
| H 18 | Mick Powers (R) | Yes | |
| H 39 | Chris Boswell (D) | Yes | |
| S 15 | Ken Decaria (D) | Yes | |
| H 19 | Owen Petersen (R) | Yes | |
| H 49 | Saundra Meyer (D) | Yes | |
| West Central WY Legislators | House 3rd 2/3/03 | Senate 3rd 2/27/03 |
|
| S 16 | Delaine Roberts (R) | Yes | |
| H 20 | Stan Cooper (R) | Yes | |
| H 21 | Randall Luthi (R) | Yes | |
| S 17 | Grant Larson (R) | Yes | |
| H 22 | Monte Olsen (R) | Yes | |
| H 23 | Clarene Law (R) | Yes | |
See Southwest Region for H 16 and S 12 | |||