FORT WAYNE – A top insurance official says recent criticism of the health care overhaul by Indiana government leaders didn’t catch her off guard.
Janet Trautwein is executive vice president and chief executive officer of the National Association of Health Underwriters. She is the scheduled keynote speaker this morning for the Indiana chapter’s annual conference at Grand Wayne Center.
Two state officials – the head of social services and the insurance commissioner – posted an online letter this week in which they warned Gov. Mitch Daniels that the federal health care law is more expensive than originally thought.
Recent estimates have the state paying more than $3 billion over the next decade. The amount is $235 million more than a May estimate.
Anne Murphy, Family and Social Services Administration secretary, and acting Insurance Commissioner Stephen Robertson wrote that though “there are grant opportunities available” under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, “definitive information regarding the use of grant dollars remains vague in many cases.”
They also wrote that “much of the responsibility and cost of implementation falls to the states.”
The letter can be seen by going to nationalhealthcare.in.gov and clicking “Federal Correspondence,” then “Memo to Governor” for Aug. 23.
“I haven’t read the letter, but I had already spoken with some in the Department of Insurance who were concerned about cost,” Trautman said.
Her agency, based in Arlington, Va., represents about 100,000 licensed health insurance agents, brokers, consultants and benefits professionals through more than 200 chapters nationwide.
“We support the health care reform bill, in general, but it is not business-friendly at all, and there are things we want to change,” she said. “Some employers may feel they can’t afford it, and that would shift the cost to the government, which means higher taxes.”
In comparison to other states’ health care costs, Indiana ranks near the median.
Texas, Arizona and Nevada are among the least expensive places for coverage, Trautwein said.
“Indiana isn’t the highest, and it’s not the lowest,” she said. “You’re in the middle.”
