BOSTON -- After decades on the back burner, health insurance coverage is suddenly one of the hottest issues on Beacon Hill.

Video

David Boeri Reports On Plan

NewsCenter 5's David Boeri reported that a day after Gov. Mitt Romney unveiled his health care plan, Senate President Robert Travaglini wrote out his prescription Thursday.

Kevin Rothstein is semi-retired, middle-income, and facing the rising costs of health insurance. Under the best deal now available, he would pay $380 a month with a $5,000 deductible and no prescriptions.

But under the governor's plan, he'd pay $300 a month in pre-taxes, plus co-payments, and get full benefits. Soon after the governor's plan was announced, Travaglini filed a Senate health care plan.

"The intent is to cover half of the uninsured in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in two years. Secondly, our intent is to lower the cost of heath care to consumers, for businesses and for taxpayers," said Travaglini.

"We have over a half-million people, arguably 1/10th of our population, without access to health insurance. That is just wrong," said former state Sen. Patricia McGovern.

The Travaglini approach stresses market reforms, targeted investments, and long-term savings and public health. One of the targeted investments and a key difference from the governor's plan is a surcharge on employers who do not offer health insurance. The surcharge will help to recover the costs of the free care pool -- somewhere between $15 million and $50 million.

Another target investment is boosting Medicaid reimbursements for hospitals, health centers and doctors. In Massachusetts, one executive estimates federal reimbursements of only 80 cents on the dollar, a financial blow.