Wyoming LAP Book - 2003 Legislation

         For several years, there has been growing concern that Wyoming's group health insurance plan for state employees is rapidly approaching financial collapse.
         The plan currently insures about 24,000 state employees. For a detailed description of the problems facing the state employee's group health insurance plan, please see descriptions of HB 39 and HB 69 in the ESPC 2003 LAP Book.
         SF 26 authorized a feasibility study to investigate alternative ways to structure employer-sponsored insurance programs than those that are now in common use. The bill specifically directed the study to investigate plans that would combine high deductible insurance for large medical expenses with medical savings accounts to help pay for deductibles and co-payments.
         The study was directed to consider various factors when investigating different possible insurance programs, including what incentives for good health behavior the proposed program would offer to employees, and what preventive health care should be covered.
         The study would consider how to make such health insurance programs voluntarily available to private employers, and would evaluate the feasibility of using such a program for the state employees' and officials' group insurance plan.
         SF 26 included an appropriation of $50,000 from the General Fund to pay for the study.
         Supporters of SF 26 pointed out that the Legislature has repeatedly been warned that the state employees' and officials' group insurance plan is nearing collapse, but they have as yet been unable to effectively deal with the problem. Instead of continuing to try to prop up the current plan, supporters suggested that the time is ripe to investigate alternative structures that might better serve both state employees and the private sector.
         SF 26 was amended on the floor of the Senate to include investigation of the feasibility of adding other governmental entities and private groups to the state employees' and officials' group insurance plan.
         The Senate passed SF 26, 21-9.
         In the House, SF 26 was assigned to the Labor, Health and Social Services Committee, where it died.
         The vote listed below is the Senate Third Reading (final passage) vote.
         A YES vote means the senator supported a feasibility study to investigate alternative ways to structure employer-sponsored insurance programs.
         A NO vote means the senator did not support such a study.

Bighorn Basin Legislators		Senate 3rd 2/3/03
S 18	Hank Coe (R)	Yes
H 24	Colin Simpson (R)
H 50	Pat Childers (R)
S 19	Laness D. Northrup (R)	Yes
H 25	Alan Jones (R)
H 26	Elaine Harvey (R)
S 20	Gerald E. Geis (R)	No
H 27	Jane Wostenberg (R)
H 28	Micheal Baker (R)

Casper-Area Legislators		Senate 3rd 2/3/03
S 27	John Barrasso (R)	Yes
H 35	Roy Cohee (R)
H 36	Liz Gentile (D)
S 28	Keith Goodenough (D)	Yes
H 56	Tom Walsh (R)
H 57	Thomas A. Lockhart (R)
S 29	Bill Hawks (R)	Yes
H 37	Steve Harshman (R)
H 59	Mary Gilmore (D)
S 30	Charles K. Scott (R)	Yes
H 38	Bob Brechtel (R)
H 58	Ann Robinson (D)

Cheyenne-Area Legislators		Senate 3rd 2/3/03
S 4	April Brimmer Kunz (R)	No
H 7	Tony Ross (R)
H 41	Becket Hinckley (R)
S 5	John Hanes (R)	Yes
H 8	Larry Meuli (R)
H 42	Pete Illoway (R)
S 6	Rich Cathcart (D)	No
H 9	Wayne Johnson (R)
H 10	Rodney "Pete" Anderson (R)
S 7	Kathryn Sessions (D)	Yes
H 11	Wayne Reese (D)
H 43	Ed Prosser (R)
S 8	E. Jayne Mockler (D)	Yes
H 12	Layton Morgan (D)
H 44	Floyd Esquibel (D)

Gillette-Area Legislators		Senate 3rd 2/3/03
S 23	John Hines (R)	No
H 31	Jene Jansen (R)
H 52	George McMurtrey (R)
S 24	Richard A. Erb (R)	No
H 32	Jeff Wasserburger (R)
H 53	Frank Latta (R)

Lander/Riverton-Area Legislators		Senate 3rd 2/3/03
S 25	Cale Case (R)	Yes
H 33	Harry Tipton (R)
H 54	Del McOmie (R)
S 26	Robert A. Peck (R)	Yes
H 34	Frank Philp (R)
H 55	David Miller (R)

Northeast/East Central WY Legislators		Senate 3rd 2/3/03
S 1	Bill Barton (R)	Yes
H 1	Mark Semlek (R)
H 2	Ross Diercks (D)
S 2	Jim Anderson (R)	No
H 5	James C. Hageman (R)
H 6	Dave Edwards (R)
S 3	Curt Meier (R)	Yes
H 3	Deborah Alden (R)
H 4	Edward A. Buchanan (R)

Sheridan-Area Legislators		Senate 3rd 2/3/03
S 21	Bruce Burns (R)	Yes
H 29	Jerry Iekel (R)
H 51	Rosie Berger (R)
S 22	John Schiffer (R)	No
H 30	Jack Landon (R)
H 40	Doug Osborn (R)

South Central WY Legislators		Senate 3rd 2/3/03
S 9	Mike Massie (D)	Yes
H 13	Jane Warren (D)
H 45	Lorna Johnson (D)
S 10	Irene Devin (R)	No
H 14	Phil Nicholas (R)
H 46	James Slater (R)
S 11	Bill Vasey (D)	Yes
H 15	George Bagby (D)
H 47	Kurt Bucholz (R)

Southwest WY Legislators		Senate 3rd 2/3/03
S 12	Rae Lynn Job (D)	No
H 48	Marty Martin (D)
H 16	Pete Jorgensen (D)
S 13	Tex Boggs (D)	Yes
H 17	Fred Parady (R)
H 60	Bill Thompson (D)
S 14	Larry Caller (D)	Yes
H 18	Mick Powers (R)
H 39	Chris Boswell (D)
S 15	Ken Decaria (D)	Yes
H 19	Owen Petersen (R)
H 49	Saundra Meyer (D)

West Central WY Legislators		Senate 3rd 2/3/03
S 16	Delaine Roberts (R)	Yes
H 20	Stan Cooper (R)
H 21	Randall Luthi (R)
S 17	Grant Larson (R)	Yes
H 22	Monte Olsen (R)
H 23	Clarene Law (R)
See Southwest Region for H 16 and S 12