Editor, Times-Union: Most people with health insurance are aware that the cost of that coverage has increased rapidly over the last several years. One of the ideas promoted to help control the increase in costs are Association Health Plans. Currently, AHPs are regulated by the states just like all other insurance products. Congress is considering legislation (S.545/H.R. 660) that would exempt federally certified association health plans from most, if not all, state laws, regulations and oversight. The bills would create self-funded AHPs that would be exempt from state laws that offer such protections as benefit mandates (e.g., mammography), the right to appeal a denied claim, limits on rate increases, cash reserve requirements, prompt pay laws and any-willing-provider laws - and substitute minimal Department of Labor regulations. The bills also would create multi-state insured AHPs that could locate in a state with the most lenient regulations and be exempt from DOL jurisdiction.
These new Association Health Plans would be able to select only the healthiest groups for coverage and offer these groups lower insurance rates. However, the Congressional Budget Office projects that the impact also would be an increase in premiums for 75 percent of all other small employers and result in loss of coverage for thousands of people. Because of the long-term negative consequences of this legislation, groups such as Anthem Insurance Companies, Blue Cross an Blue Shield Association, National Small Business United, National Governors Association and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners oppose it. More information is available on this and other health insurance topics on the Web site of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association: www.bcbshealthissues.com
The House of Representatives has already passed H.R. 660. The Senate has yet to vote on S.545, but supporters of the bill are seeking co-sponsors and commitments for the bill. I urge you contact Senator Lugar and Senator Bayh and express your opposition to the measure and ask them to find other measures that will truly result in relief from the continued increases in health insurance premiums.
Michael Suhany Registered health underwriter
Warsaw
Robbery
Editor, Times-Union: To the person who broke into our home today in North Webster (9-12-03): I would like to thank you for the grief you have caused our family by your unwelcome visit. Thank you for the window we now have to repair, thank you for the games you stole that didn't even belong to us, thank you for making our son afraid to sleep in his own room for fear that someone will come in his window and hurt him. You have violated our private space, the space we live in and made our children feel safe and cared for. Thank you for the quick lesson to our kids that not everyone is a good person at heart and they don't always care that your home and belongings are yours and yours alone. Thank you for coming into our home uninvited. You know who you are, and we think we do, too, and we really hope this isn't what you would teach your children. We hope you never have the misfortune to have someone break into your home, it's not a good feeling at all to know someone has been there and then wonder if they are going to come back again. You go ahead and enjoy those games, courtesy of my brother and children.
Tiffany Varney North Webster via e-mail
Thanks For Fireworks
Editor, Times-Union: We would like to thank all the people that were involved in making the Labor Day fireworks so great! Lighting them from three locations was outstanding. Our grandsons thought it was very "cool"! Thanks again.
