LANSING – Legislation that would allow Michigan to join an interstate compact to suspend the operation of the controversial federal health care act was sent to the full Senate by the Health Policy Committee on Thursday.

The panel reported SB 973 on a 6-1 vote with Sen. Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor) the only committee member opposing the bill.

Under the measure, each state in the compact would be able to suspend the operation of a federal law regarding health care within that state.

If the state suspended the federal law then it would be responsible for the financial obligation of regulating health care in its state.

However, the bill also said each state in the compact would still be eligible for its full portion of federal funding, even if it had suspended the federal law.

Interstate compacts to provide health care are allowed under the federal health care act that was passed in 2010 and will go before the U.S. Supreme Court this month.

Presuming it becomes law in Michigan, the compact would take effect if ratified by two states and approved by Congress.

While in some respects the measure is seen as a way to get out of some aspects of the federal act, Isabelle Terry of Rockford argued the measure would actually be worse than the federal act. She suggested the compact could go further than the federal measure and actually dictate what people could do and eat and what kind of medical treatment they could get.

The panel also heard testimony on SB 595 (though it did not act on the bill) that would create a basic health care program for low-income people. The federal act would already expand those eligible for Medicaid, but Sen. Roger Kahn (R-Saginaw Township), the bill sponsor, said the proposal would provide basic coverage for about 100,000 people whose incomes were between 133 percent and 200 percent of the poverty level.

Mark Cook with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan countered that, in fact, low-income persons would have a greater range of options available under a health care exchange.

So far, however, the Legislature has held up efforts by the administration to see a health care exchange enacted in the state.

This story was provided by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on Gongwer.Com

a>>