By MARYSHEDDEN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 10, 2012

TAMPA - Revamping of a Hillsborough County health plan for poor people remains in limbo as local leaders wait for a U.S. Supreme Court decision on national health care reform.

More than 13,000 Hillsborough residents participate in the 20-year-old health insurance of last resort. But those numbers likely will rise or fall once the high court decides whether President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act is constitutional.

For months, the Hillsborough County Health Care Plan Advisory Board has hesitated in making changes to the local plan, with meetings focusing on a lot of "what ifs" about who qualifies for its primary care, specialists, out-patient treatment and prescription coverage.

Once the national debate about "Obamacare" is clarified, local leaders say, they will know how many people will need help from the local plan. To prepare, the advisory board already has identified which aspects of the plan it needs to evaluate for cost effectiveness and impact.

"We'll be ready for either pass or fail," said county Department of Family and Aging Services Director Gene Earley, who serves as the staff administrator for the advisory board.

The urgency to streamline and improve health services for residents was behind last week's request by Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman to re-evaluate the local plan. Murman said she didn't know the advisory board was making plans to do the same.

She pulled the request after speaking with Earley.

"This is the best time to be doing this and be ahead of the curve," Murman said.

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Local health care plan awaits high court ruling