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On the heels of the national health care overhaul, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the Michigan House and Senate have introduced a package of four bills to address access to individual health insurance in Michigan, including some new rules on how insurance carriers may treat individuals who have pre-existing conditions.
Sen. Tom George, R-Texas Township, the lead sponsor of the Senate bills, says the proposals are designed to increase access to insurance coverage for the uninsured, help stabilize Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and improve the health of state residents.
George, a practicing anesthesiologist who is running for governor, said the bills have strong bipartisan support and he hopes they can be passed this year.
While many of the proposals overlap the federal health-care law, George said the state legislation is necessary because “we don’t know if the federal bill could be changed or repealed. It’s also being phased in over several years, and we have issues we need to address now.”
Some of the proposals in the state bills include:
* Requiring any Michigan health insurance provider to cover individuals’ pre-existing conditions after six months rather than 12 months.
Sen. Tom George, R-Texas Township, the lead sponsor of the Senate bills, says the proposals are designed to increase access to insurance coverage for the uninsured, help stabilize Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and improve the health of state residents.
George, a practicing anesthesiologist who is running for governor, said the bills have strong bipartisan support and he hopes they can be passed this year.
While many of the proposals overlap the federal health-care law, George said the state legislation is necessary because “we don’t know if the federal bill could be changed or repealed. It’s also being phased in over several years, and we have issues we need to address now.”
Some of the proposals in the state bills include:
* Requiring any Michigan health insurance provider to cover individuals’ pre-existing conditions after six months rather than 12 months.
* Preventing a carrier from limiting or excluding coverage because of a pre-existing condition for those moving from group coverage to individual coverage.
* Prohibiting insurance companies from canceling policies for reasons other than non-payment.
It also would overhaul the state’s health-insurance market for individuals. Currently, Blue Cross Blue Shield is the market of last resort for people who cannot obtain insurance through an employer or government program. But George says that individual market is an “unfriendly market” right now, and there are 1.3 million Michigan residents who are uninsured.
Under the proposal, Blue Cross would lose its tax exemption status and have to pay $90 million to $100 million annual tax assessment, which would be used to help subsidize premiums for those pursuing individual insurance.
In a statement, Blue Cross called the bills a “step forward” but said they need to be modified.
“Blue Cross believes that these bills need some changes to reflect provisions of federal health care reform and ensure fair taxation and regulation among insurance carriers,” said Mark Cook, vice president for governmental affairs.
George said one of the biggest differences between the federal legislation and his proposals is an emphasis on healthy behaviors. He said the bills would allow insurance carriers to take into account whether insurance clients smoke or are overweight when pricing premiums.
“There would be a reward for taking care of ourselves, which is absent now,” George said.
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