December 1, 2010: Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal approved the operating plan yesterday for a health insurance demonstration project called “Healthy Frontiers.”
The state-funded Healthy Frontiers will provide limited insurance coverage to working adults with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level and will focus on wellness screenings and preventive services. Enrollees will earn money to pay for care if they complete physician check-ups and screenings. The money earned goes into a health savings account, to which enrollees can also contribute on their own. Participants will pay a share of their health care costs if they exceed the program’s set number of covered office visits or require more extensive services.
Governor Feudenthal hopes that Healthy Frontiers will allow Wyoming to spend less money on Medicaid, expressing concern that the current system incentivizes uninsured workers to stop working in order to become eligible for Medicaid.
The first phase of Healthy Frontiers will run through June 30, 2011, as a pilot. Enrollment, which is capped at 200 during the pilot phase, could begin before the end of the year.