By John Byrne, Post-Tribune staff writer
INDIANAPOLIS -- A proposed 44-cent cigarette tax increase to fund a public health-care plan for the uninsured cleared the House and Senate late Sunday as the General Assembly neared adjournment.
The plan championed by Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, received bipartisan support in both chambers.
The tax would provide healthcare for roughly 132,000 uninsured Hoosiers.
Democrats and Gov. Mitch Daniels were both strongly supportive of the tax increase to fund Healthy Hoosiers from early in the session.
Republicans wanted to make sure the healthcare plan was "consumer-based," allowing participants choices on how they spend the insurance dollars.
Both parties said in the final days that they had reached a likely agreement, but time was running out to act late Sunday.
The health-care plan includes buy-in options for small businesses to pool resources to buy health insurance for employees.
It also has a state-run pre-tax healthcare savings program for employees, which GOP leaders said was key to gaining Republican support.
The 44-cent per-pack bump would raise $206.7 million annually, according to Brown.
The tax increase will raise the per-pack cigarette tax in Indiana to 99 1/2 cents.
Up to $11 million is slated for child immunizations.
Federal matching funds and state money from other programs could bring the total in the health-care fund to $561 million.
As he did throughout the session, Brown continued to guarantee late Sunday that the bill would pass.
Even as the health-care plan seemed ready to stall mid-session as legislators argued about the funding and the design of the insurance provisions, Brown said he was certain the votes would be there at the end.
The measure passed the House 70-29 and 37-13 in the Senate.