A final look at health plan

The legislature is going to consider fixes to the State Health Plan.

A conference report that will be considered by the House and Senate this afternoon includes several changes:

* Drops a proposal to put the plan on the calendar year, and not the fiscal year.

* Reduces the premium rate increase from 10 to 8.9 percent.

* Creates a new specialist co-pay for chiropractors, mental health and substance abuse and speech therapy. It would be $55 under the 70/30 plan and $45 under the 80/20 plan.

* Restores smoking cessation and weight loss initiatives.

The Senate would also agree to an independent audit specified by the House, a blue ribbon task force and language requiring plan contractors to provide details billing, transactional data and administrative costs.

Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand said the goal was to the plan to Gov. Beverly Perdue by the end of the week.

Update: The House has passed the plan, 60-56.