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For Immediate
Release
6/29/08
 
Senate Approves House Bill 1150
Provides autism, colorectal cancer screening
coverage, "Blues" oversight
The Senate today approved
House Bill 1150, a measure to require insurance companies to provide
coverage for autism services and colorectal cancer screening and to provide
state oversight of proposed mergers involving non-profit health insurance
companies, according to Senator Don White, Chairman of the Senate Banking and
Insurance Committee.
House Bill 1150, as amended by the Banking and Insurance Committee, would
ensure the state has regulatory authority over the proposed merger of Highmark
and Independence Blue Cross, the two largest health care insurance companies in
the Commonwealth. The bill also would require insurers to provide coverage of
autism services and colorectal cancer screenings.
"These issues have been considered at length by the Senate Banking and
Insurance Committee and its members in the course of several public hearings and
in meetings with interested groups and individuals," Senator White said. "This
has been a very long and complex process to say the least, but I believe that
working together we reached a consensus on a package that will not only meet the
concerns of the legislature and the administration, but will provide basic
safeguards and vital services for the people of Pennsylvania."
Coverage for autism services would begin one year after the bill is signed
into law and be capped at $36,000 per year. The cap would be adjusted on an
annual basis based on the rate of inflation. Coverage would be required for
businesses having 51 or more employees, a standard used by Florida, South
Carolina and other states that require coverage. Companies with 50 or less
employees would not be required, but could voluntarily purchase coverage.
Prior to the Senate vote, Elizabeth Emken, Vice President of Government
Relations for Autism Speaks, a national organization, sent a letter to the
General Assembly strongly urging a positive vote on House Bill 1150.
"Friday night, the Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations Committee passed the
autism insurance reform bill, 26-0, with the support of bill sponsor Senator
Jane Orie and Banking and Insurance Chairman Senator Don White," Emken said.
"The vote was unanimous, with the Democrats enthusiastically joining the GOP
majority, and the bill now moving forward, if signed into law, would be the
strongest autism insurance mandate yet achieved in the nation."
"As seen from Ms. Emken's letter, advocates for those who will benefit from
this coverage strongly support HB 1150 as a way to significantly improve the
quality of life of families of autistic children," Senator White said. "The
public input we have received, as well as the recent report by the Pennsylvania
Health Care Cost Containment Council, makes it quite clear that we can and
should move Pennsylvania forward on this front."
Another key provision in HB 1150 is a requirement that any merger involving
the "Blues" be subject to approval by the Department of Insurance. While the
Insurance Department would hold final approval -- or denial -- authority for a
merger of non-profit health insurance companies, the bill empowers the Senate
Banking and Insurance Committee and the House Insurance Committee to receive and
review all filings submitted to the Department and to develop written comments
and recommendations on the merger filings.
"Anyone who has followed the proceedings of the Banking and Insurance
Committee is well aware of our concerns about ensuring that this merger be
thoroughly and extensively monitored by the appropriate state governmental
entities to protect the rights of health care practitioners and the people of
Pennsylvania who rely on those services," Senator White said. "We have a basic
responsibility to ensure that any such merger not result in a monopolized market
that degrades the accessibility and affordability of health care in
Pennsylvania. Those concerns are addressed, I believe, in House Bill 1150."
Contact:
Joe Pittman
(717) 787-8724 or cell (724) 541-0552
Additional Information:
Health Care
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