State approaches to health costs examined

Across the nation, liberal and conservative governors are pursuing very different approaches to controlling rising healthcare costs and providing coverage to the growing ranks of the uninsured. In Florida, Gov. Jeb Bush (R) is talking empowerment for low-income seniors and moving thousands from state-run Medicaid programs to managed care plans. A similar experiment is underway in South Carolina. In Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) is taking a diametrically different approach to the same problem by working to extend healthcare to low-income children. Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, Gov. Mitt Romney (R) is attempting to come up with a hybrid solution that fuses a pro-business approach with liberal idealism. The Los Angeles Times looks at key experiments underway on the state level and the reactions they are provoking.

- see this article from The Los Angeles Times