How does it happen that a bill that puts to many Americans at risk of diminished health care can get so close to approval? National Assn. of REALTORS® president Thomas Stevens has issued another Call to Action for passage of Bill S.1955, known as the "Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act." State REALTORS® presidents, including Pennsylvania Assn. of president Len Ferber, have been visiting Senators and urging support of the bill. The REALTOR® position gives members the impression that the bill will expand coverage to those who need it most. It does not tell the truth about the onerous effects of the bill.
"Not so," says AARP:
"Many states require health insurers to cover specific diseases or treatments and forbid them from refusing to cover older or sicker people or from charging them higher premiums. Health plans sold under this bill would not have to follow those rules.
"Certain states have adopted laws designed to prevent older or sicker people from being priced out of the insurance market or from being charged unaffordable premiums...allowing insurers to charge higher premiums for older people would create an incentive for employers not to hire older workers, who tend to use more healthcare services. He suggested that the bill would sacrifice older workers in the service of helping younger small-business employees.""
"Not so," says the American Optometric Assn.:
"S. 1955 would render useless state-enacted patient protections for eye and vision care, any-willing provider and insurance equality laws intended to protect health care providers and consumers. If enacted, S. 1955 would preempt all state-mandated benefit legislation, not just those that are specific to eye and vision care. "
"Not so," says the American Diabetes Assn.:
"...a bill that could leave millions of Americans with diabetes without insurance coverage for their diabetes needs. The bill, S. 1955, will pre-empt the 46 state laws, passed over the last decade with bi-partisan support, that require state-regulated health plans to cover diabetes education, equipment, and supplies. As American Diabetes Association volunteers, this legislation directly impacts our mission. We must join together and stop it.
"Today the organization is asking for your help in our efforts to lobby Senators and secure their opposition to S. 1955 in its current state as it fails to protect state diabetes coverage regulations."
The trade associations that supported this bill were about to get in bed with the insurance companies. They would have collected commissions for selling substandard products to REALTORS. Just think, this increased fleecing would set the benchmark for poor health coverage for all of us. That's a shame.
Posted by: Gwen Hill | May 21, 2006 at 05:09 PM