A bipartisan proposal to take a state-based pilot program approach to health care reform is gaining momentum in Washington, D.C.

The State-Based Health Care Reform Act is authored by U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). The proposal gained the support today of Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

Additional support for the bill coincides with a Badger Poll conducted by the University of Wisconsin Survey Center that finds a majority of Wisconsinites think states would do a better job reforming the health care system rather than the federal government.

The Feingold-Graham bill, which Collins is now co-sponsoring, would launch pilot programs in several states to achieve health care coverage in the best way the states see fit.  States could use single-payer systems, expansion of current programs, market-based reforms or adopt completely new ideas in their efforts to cover the uninsured.

The bill, also co-sponsored by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), was originally introduced in 2006 to break the political stalemate in Congress preventing health care reform.

"I am so pleased Sen. Collins has joined this bipartisan effort to ensure all Americans have access to good health care," Feingold said. "It is long past time for Congress to break the logjam preventing action on health care reform. As I continue to hear from Wisconsinites concerned about the state of our health care system, I will keep pushing legislation to give states the flexibility they need to develop plans to bring health care coverage to all their residents."

Collins said, "This initiative which will help to 'jumpstart' our health care reform efforts by encouraging states to adopt innovative programs to make health coverage more available and affordable and to reduce the numbers of uninsured. The states have long been laboratories for reform, and they should be encouraged in the development of innovative programs that can serve as models for the nation. I am pleased to join Senator Feingold and applaud his efforts to cover the uninsured."

Among the terms of the bill:

Authorize funding for pilot projects so that a few states can ensure health care coverage to all residents.

Give flexibility to states to use their own approach to achieve health care coverage for all, as long as they meet certain coverage requirements and provide low-income protections.

Pilot programs would last for five years and would be funded through a grant application program overseen by the Health Care Reform Task Force established in the legislation.

The Task Force would evaluate state applications, select state projects and oversee implementation of the states' proposals.

Participating states would be required to submit an annual report to the Task Force, detailing their progress.

The Task Force will be responsible for submitting an evaluation of all pilot projects to Congress at the end of the initial five-year grant period. The recommendations will be based on states' experiences, and the bill requires congressional debate of these recommendations and findings.

More information about the health care reform plan is available at http://feingold.senate.gov/~feingold/releases/07/12/20071228.html. More information about the Badger Poll conducted by the University of Wisconsin Survey Center is available at http://www.uwsc.wisc.edu/BP26Release4_HC2008.pdf.