April 5, 2006
Contact Your Senators Now to Oppose Destructive HIMMA Bill (S.1955)
THE ISSUE AT HAND
The full Senate will vote soon on sweeping health insurance legislation that would undermine comprehensive health coverage for 85 million insured Americans. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), along with many other health groups, opposes the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization & Affordability Act (HIMMA, S.1955) because it preempts benefit and provider mandates in state law, including the 39 state mental health parity laws, 32 state mental health mandate laws, and 28 state social worker provider mandate laws. Worst of all, HIMMA would increase insurance rates for sicker and higher risk employee groups that attempt to retain comprehensive health insurance plans.
President Bush is strongly supporting many small employers who are pressuring the Senate to pass HIMMA because it includes a version of the Administration’s Association Health Plans (AHPs) that encourage creation of “bare bones” health plans for small employee groups. The House AHP bill passed last year as H.R.525. Passage of the Senate’s HIMMA bill would lead to a conference with the House AHP bill, risking final adoption of a federal law that would be extremely destructive to the entire health insurance marketplace and would fundamentally undermine the marketplace for clinical social work services.
ACTION NEEDED
Write your two Senators and tell them to reject the destructive HIMMA bill (S.1955) that would wipe out essential insurance protections for vulnerable beneficiaries. Also tell Senators that an acceptable alternative to making more affordable insurance available to small employer groups is the Small Employers Health Benefits Program Act of 2006 (S.2382), which will be offered on the floor by Sens. Durbin and Lincoln. The Durbin/Lincoln bill offers comprehensive coverage for small employer groups that does not undermine coverage for everyone else or preempt state benefit and provider mandates. Urge your Senators to reject HIMMA (S.1955) and support the alternative S.2382, offered by Sens. Durbin and Lincoln.
BACKGROUND
HIMMA is a highly complex bill that makes sweeping changes in the health insurance regulatory environment. It does so by federalizing many key aspects of state insurance regulation. One of the objectives of HIMMA is to promote the sale of “bare bones” insurance plans across multiple state lines. These “bare bones” plans would be cheaper because they would not conform to state mandatory benefit requirements, provider choice laws or rating protections, and they would be more attractive to younger, lower risk groups. NASW is highly supportive of increasing access to health care coverage for small business employees, but it opposes HIMMA because it would greatly undermine the availability of comprehensive health coverage and eliminate community rating, making it much more expensive for currently insured groups to retain affordable comprehensive coverage.
Sample Phone/E-mail Message
All Senators must be contacted now to hear opposition to HIMMA (S.1955). Below and on NASW’s webpage is a letter to be emailed to both of your Senators now urging them to vote no on HIMMA. You may call your Senators at 202-224-3121 or link to this letter below at:
Letter on HIMMA.
”My name is _________ from (city, state). As a constituent, professional social worker, and member of the National Association of Social Workers, I urge that Senator (last name) oppose the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act (HIMMA, S.1955). This Act would exempt many health insurance plans from critical state laws and regulations, thereby undermining comprehensive health coverage and leaving people with “bare bones plans” that provide workers with grossly inadequate insurance protection. I support expanding comprehensive insurance coverage to small business groups and urge you to support the alternative Durbin/Lincoln bill (S.2382) during floor consideration. Thank you.
TIMING
It is critical that opposition to this bill be heard this month. Senate GOP leadership plan to begin floor consideration of S.1955 during the first week in May.
THANKS FOR YOUR ADVOCACY!
|
About
NASW