Utah Legislature Considers Making Government Follow the Same Health Insurance Laws Businesses Have To

Now this sounds like a good idea to me:

A bill that would require the state to live by the same health insurance rules it imposes on small business is one step closer to reality.

SB 138, a measure passed Monday, would require the state to fund any health insurance mandates enacted after Jan. 1, 2012, for public schools, charter schools and state-funded higher education institutions in the Beehive State.

The measure, sponsored by Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, passed the Senate 22-5 and now goes to the House.

[snip]

Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, said the bill simply requires the state to determine the costs for any mandate and appropriate the money for its cost. Without the bill, he said, the state is not transparent.

“We’re kidding ourselves if we think we can impose an insurance mandate and not fund it,” he said, adding that the state needs to put its money where its mouth is.

Of course, a far better solution is for government to get its hands off health insurance to the maximum extent possible, but that’s probably gonna have to wait till after the election.

In the mean time, this will hopefully make politicians understand the costs and hassles they’re asking businesses to deal with, and might actually get some of them to support getting the government out of health insurance.