Last night’s PBS show
NOW was about a little understood group: the underinsured. There are people in states without those notorious and burdensome mandates for coverage, such as cancer screenings, diabetic supplies, emergency treatment, dental anesthesia, maternity benefits, prosthesis, metabolic disorders – well, you get the picture. If you want to see the whole list, Families USA has a
state by state list of protections slated to be lost if the
Enzi Bill (HR 1955) passes.
The Enzi Bill wants to allow small businesses to be able to form Association Health Plans ostensibly to be able to use the power of the marketplace to purchase health care
like the big boys do . (I say ostensibly because it won’t really work out the same: they won’t be self-funded – just a group.)
Enzi takes the idea one step farther so that groups can form across state lines. This is classic Republican strategy: get a great title, give a cogent rationale, and leave out the nasty details. All the protections mentioned above came about due to individual state legislative action. Insurance is regulated by the states; if AHPs are allowed to form across state lines, no insurance board or commissioner will have jurisdiction, and plans can then cover, or not cover, whatever they like.
This is why it is so pernicious, and why you should call your Senator to vote against this bill. I tried on the “day of action” and couldn’t get through. Of course, I’m in New York, so I’m pretty sure Schumer and Clinton are opposed; but how about the rest of you?
BTW, American Cancer Society
opposes its passage, too.
Crossposted at http://www.signalhealth.com
