Expanding access to health care for those who are uninsured could prompt people to move to Howard County for care, straining the system, according to public policy analysts.
“This is the kind of problem that is extremely difficult for counties to tackle,” said Henry Aaron, a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, a Washington-based public policy think tank.
Howard officials are working out the details of a plan, to be unveiled next month, that would provide health care access to thousands of uninsured county residents.
The plan is not an insurance, but would provide services for a small fee.
The county could face more residents crossing the borders to take advantage of the services, Aaron said, adding that states are better equipped to take on such measures.
“No county wants to look attractive to anyone without many economic resources,” he said.
This could balloon the costs of preventative care and strain services, said Michael Tanner, director of health and welfare studies at Cato Institute, a nonprofit public policy research foundation in Washington.
“This is going to be an added expense. This is nota cost savings measure,” he said, adding the county must consider whether the resources are available.
However, Howard Health Officer Dr. Peter Beilenson said the plan will include provisions to address these concerns.
For example, a resident must live in the county for a certain period of time before becoming eligible, he said.
Another provision would curb employers from dropping insurance coverage in favor of the county plan, he said.
To fund the program, the county will rely on foundation money, as well as individual fees, and it will not increase county taxes, Beilenson said.
A “modest amount” of county funds may be used, and officials will redirect resources.
