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Sales Taxes Used for Uninsured Health Care

Posted on: Monday, 1 August 2005, 00:00 CDT

Jul. 31--While state lawmakers in Tallahassee steadfastly refuse to raise taxes to improve health care for the uninsured, residents in two Florida counties voted to do just that. Last year, Alachua and Polk counties enacted sales taxes to start medical programs for the uninsured.

In Alachua County, home to Gainesville and the University of Florida, voters narrowly approved a quarter-cent sales tax for the next seven years for a health program to help the working poor who make below 150 percent of the federal poverty level.

As many as 14,000 county residents could be helped by the program that's expected to start in September. Organizers hope to sign up at least half of them. The county plans to set up a network of health-care providers that would help keep people from seeking non-urgent care in local hospital emergency rooms.

Alachua patients who enroll in the program will pay a fee based on income level and employers would be asked to pay a charge for their workers who sign up. Participants would also have co-payments for medical services. The program is the brainchild of Alachua County Commissioner Cynthia Moore Chestnut, a former state legislator.

"I think this program will help keep residents healthy and help all of us in the long run," she said. "It's a tax of compassion."

In Polk County, where Lakeland is the biggest community, voters last year overwhelmingly approved a half-penny sales tax that will let the uninsured enroll in a county-run health plan. Residents who make less than the federal poverty level would be eligible for primary care, specialty care and prescriptions. Enrollees would not pay a monthly premium but would pay a small co-pay for medical services.

The tax is expected to help the county treat 32,000 uninsured residents. With the tax support, organizers say patients would get access to more doctors and hospitals.

"Something had to be done to stabilize our health costs," said Steve Vaskal, accounting manager for Polk County.

Neither Alachua nor Polk faced any organized community opposition to the new taxes. Officials did have to persuade residents that paying more taxes would help the county in the long run.

"We had just passed a half-cent sales tax to support new school construction and some said we wouldn't be able to pass another tax," Vaskal said. "But the community stepped up to the plate when they realized the cost would average about $25 per person each year."

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Source: The Palm Beach Post

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