According to Families USA:
S. 1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization Act (HIMMA), was introduced by Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY) and has been approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. This legislation, if enacted, will strip away almost all state-enacted consumer protections for people buying insurance individually or through their employers.
Though the bill’s alleged purpose is to make insurance affordable for small businesses, its reach is far greater than that: States will no longer be able to mandate coverage of benefits, services, or categories of providers for individuals, small groups, or large groups. Premium rating protections, enacted by states to make small group insurance more affordable to older and sicker workers, will be set aside. Insurers will be allowed to sue states that do not comply. The bill sets a ceiling on, but no floor under, what states can do to protect insurance consumers.
From the AFL-CIO blog:
May 1–7 is National Cover the Uninsured Week, an annual event that gives us all the chance to focus on ways to ensure every American has access to affordable health care.
So how are anti-worker groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, the Associated Builders and Contractors and others celebrating? They’re trying to push a bill through the U.S. Senate that could gut your health care coverage.
The Enzi bill, S. 1955, would allow health insurers to bypass state requirements for minimum benefits. That means it could eliminate key benefits in your coverage, including cancer screenings, contraception, emergency services, mental health care and diabetic supplies.
Every state has written specific health protections into its laws, requiring insurance companies to cover certain necessary services. The Enzi bill would allow insurers to jack up prices for services they’re now required to cover:or eliminate coverage for them altogether.
Update: Paul Secunda at Workplace Prof Blog has some thoughts on this.
