Association health plans

Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act of 2006

hmoroz — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:52:40 -0400

Legislation

The middle class

Opposes

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Number of Americans who would lose health insurance consumer protections under this law, according to Families USA: 85 million

Number of Americans who already have insurance policies that fail to cover needed medical treatments, exposing them to exorbitant costs: 25 million

Proportion of small businesses that would actually see their health insurance premiums rise if this bill were passed: 1 in 4

Amount the insurance industry spent to lobby Congress in 2006: $134.7 million

Number of governors who expressed opposition to the bill: 12

Number of state attorneys general who opposed it: 44

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

The Middle Class Opposes. Legislation that enabled small businesses to affordably provide quality health coverage to their employees would allow more Americans to enjoy a middle-class standard of living. Unfortunately, this bill does not accomplish that goal. Instead, it would downgrade the quality of health coverage millions of Americans currently have, while doing little to reduce costs. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that health insurance premiums for small businesses would decline just 2 to 3 percent as a result of this legislation, while one in four small businesses would actually pay higher premiums. At the same time, the exemptions from state insurance regulations would allow insurance companies to sell “junk insurance policies” that fail to provide adequate coverage of needed medical care. With an estimated 25 million Americans already underinsured, exemptions from state insurance laws that protect at least some Americans would result in a devastating loss of covered care. Preempting state insurance laws would also have other negative impacts on patients and health care providers: for example, it would block states from regulating insurance rates, overseeing how insurance companies handle customer complaints, and requiring prompt payment of claims.

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate for S. 1955

“Lessons From New Hampshire Senate Health Bill Could Drive Up Health Insurance Premiums For Many Small Businesses,” from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

“The Enzi Bill: Bad Medicine for America,” from FamiliesUSA

Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2004

atraub — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:50:01 -0400

Legislation

The middle class

Opposes

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Number of middle-class households that lack health insurance: 1 in 6
Percentage of small businesses that did not offer health insurance to employees in 2004: 37
Proportion of small businesses that would see their premiums increase under this legislation: 4 out of 5
Predicted increase in the number of uninsured Americans under this legislation: 250,000 to 1 million
Average estimated increase in health care premiums for small business under this legislation: 6%
Average estimated increase in health care premiums for small employers with state-regulated coverage under this legislation: 23%

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

The Middle Class Opposes: Enhancing the ability of small businesses to offer quality health insurance would go a long way towards reducing the number of uninsured Americans. But the devil is in the details: by exempting AHPs from state regulations, this bill increases average health care costs for small businesses and reduces the number of workers with health insurance. For example, state laws prevent insurance plans from cherry-picking only the healthiest people for insurance coverage, allowing businesses with relatively healthy employees to join for less money, while charging higher rates to those with older and sicker workers. This would destabilize the health care marketplace: state-regulated health care plans would see their healthy workers siphoned off to the AHPs, leaving them with a disproportionate number of older and sicker employees who are more expensive to cover. Health care premiums for all small businesses except those with the healthiest workforce would soar, and companies unable to cope with the increased costs would leave their employees at risk of becoming uninsured. For this reason, the Congressional Budget Office has projected that AHP legislation, if enacted, would result in higher premiums for four out of five small employers.

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005

atraub — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 15:13:41 -0400

Legislation

The middle class

Opposes

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Number of middle-class households that lack health insurance: 1 in 6
Percentage of small businesses that did not offer health insurance to employees in 2005: 41
Proportion of small businesses that would see their premiums increase under this legislation: 4 out of 5
Average estimated percentage increase in health care premiums for small business under this legislation: 6
Average estimated percentage increase in health care premiums for small employers with state-regulated coverage under this legislation: 23
Predicted increase in the number of uninsured Americans under this legislation: 250,000 to 1 million

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

The Middle Class Opposes. Enhancing the ability of small businesses to offer quality health insurance would go a long way towards reducing the number of uninsured Americans. But the devil is in the details: by exempting AHPs from state regulations, studies indicate that this bill would increase average health care costs for small businesses and reduce the number of workers with health insurance. For example, state laws prevent insurance plans from cherry-picking only the healthiest people for insurance coverage, allowing businesses with relatively healthy employees to join for less money, while charging higher rates to those with older and sicker workers. Exemption from these laws would destabilize the health care marketplace: state-regulated health care plans would see their healthy workers siphoned off to the AHPs, leaving them with a disproportionate number of older and sicker employees who are more expensive to cover. Health care premiums for all small businesses except those with the healthiest workforce would soar, and companies unable to cope with the increased costs would leave their employees at risk of becoming uninsured. For this reason, the Congressional Budget Office has projected that AHP legislation, if enacted, would result in higher premiums for four out of five small employers.

Association health plans

Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act of 2006

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources

Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2004

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources

Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources