PART II
According to the American Chiropractic Association, “these state mandates are there to protect unfair discrimination against the chiropractic profession and allow patients to seek valuable chiropractic care. Not only does the S1955 wipe out these existing laws, but it also prevents the policymakers from making decisions in the future about the minimal protections for the state’s healthcare consumers.” According to Michael Hiltzik, who wrote an article in the Los Angeles Times entitled “Healthcare Bill Seeks to Pre-empt State Laws”, Mr. Hiltzik notes that “state’s rights is one of those political shibboleths that conservatives love to trot out to block federal initiatives they don’t care for. But, they are happy to lock it away when it proves inconvenient to something they love. Like, say, the health insurance lobby.”
According to Mr. Hiltzik, S1955 “. . . would modernize the health insurance market place right into the stone age.” He goes on to note that the overt reason for this bill is to allow small businesses to join together in groups to purchase health insurance for employees. This appears to be a very worthy goal; however, Mr. Hiltzik notes that the bill, “. . . uses small business and their workers as human shields to mask an all out assault on state regulation on health insurance across the country.”
He goes on to note that this legislation would “pre-empt state regulators on a wide range of issues, replacing their standards with federal rules that in some respects have already proven to be dismal failures, and in other respects will be easily manipulated by the insurance industry. The preemptions will apply not only to small employer plans, but to individual health insurance and large group plans too – in other words, pretty much everybody.”
So, as you can see, this legislation would have broad and sweeping effects on everyone’s health insurance in this country. According to the American Chiropractic Association, “taking a step opposed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, S1955 would allow insurers to charge small business as much as 50% more for premiums if some of their workers are in less than perfect health. It would also allow unlimited premium increases based on the sex or age of workers, or on other demographic features.” In other words, S1955 would allow insurance companies to charge more to those individuals who they see as a high risk, whether that be related to their sex, age, or previous medical history.
The ACA goes on to state that “the Bill S1955 forces consumers to choose between accepting bare bones policies and paying higher rates for a more comprehensive coverage they need and want. Many Americans who receive comprehensive coverage including chiropractic care will be forced to pay much higher premiums than they currently pay, making health insurance unaffordable for many.”
The American Psychological Association said that allowing plans to skip covering mental health treatment “will add to the ranks of the uninsured, financially devastate families that will not be protected from mental illness, and increase those who rely on public funded programs,” according to Ms. Robner and her article published on April 7, 2006. She goes on to quote a Planned Parenthood spokesperson who states that “a more honest name [for this legislation| would be the ‘Lose Your Benefits Bill.’” This spokesperson goes on to note that “new plans could pre-empt state requirements giving women direct access to their obstetrician, gynecologists, or paying for prescription birth control.”
Next week we will discuss more on this pending legislation.