More Coverage Mandates Introduced

 Health insurance legislation introduced this session of the Ohio General Assembly has been dominated by more health insurance coverage mandates.  Below is a status report of the pending bills:

 H.B. 8 (Celeste/Garland) – Autism Coverage

Representatives Ted Celeste (D-Grandview Heights) and Nancy Garland (D-New Albany) introduced H.B. 8 to prohibit health insurers from excluding coverage for specified services for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.  This legislation is one of the top ten priority bills for the House Democrat Caucus. The bill is scheduled for a possible vote in the House Healthcare Access & Affordability Committee next Tuesday March 31st.  OAHU, employer groups and health insurers have all been working on amendments to mitigate the potential costly impacts of the legislation.

 H.B. 56 (Miler) – Colorectal Cancer Screenings

On March 3, 2009 Representative Eugene Miller (D-Cleveland) introduced H.B. 56 to require health insurers to provide benefits for colorectal exams and laboratory tests for cancer in accordance with the most recent published guidelines of the American Cancer Society.  The bill received sponsor testimony in the House Insurance Committee on March 18th.

 S.B. 15 (D. Miller) – Enhanced Mental Health Parity

On February 10, 2009 Senator Dale Miller (D-Cleveland) introduced S.B. 15, the “enhanced mental health parity” legislation that mandates coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of all mental illnesses and substance abuse and drug addictions.  The bill is scheduled for sponsor testimony in the Senate Health, Human Services & Aging Committee on March 31st.

 S.B. 34 (D. Miller) – Group Health Insurance

Senator Dale Miller (D-Cleveland) introduced S.B. 34 on February 10, 2009 to require the Ohio Department of Administrative Services to create a health insurance program that allows municipalities, small employers and nonprofit corporations or associations to purchase for their employees the same policies provided to state employees.  The bill is scheduled for sponsor testimony in the Senate Insurance, Commerce & Labor Committee on March 31st.

 S.B. 64 – (Coughlin) - Colorectal Cancer Screenings

Senator Kevin Coughlin (R-Cuyahoga Falls) introduced S. B. 64 on March 4, 2009 to require health insurers to cover colorectal cancer screenings.  The bill, which is the same as S.B. 278 which passed the Senate last session, specifies the specific colorectal cancer screenings which insurers must cover.  The bill has been referred to the Senate Insurance, Commerce & Labor Committee.

 H.B. 81

On March 18, 2009 Representatives Barbara Boyd (D-Cleveland Heights) and Randy Gardner (R-Bowling Green) introduced H.B. 81 to require health insurers to provide benefits for equipment, supplies and medication for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of diabetes and for diabetes self-management education.  The bill has been referred to the House Insurance Committee.

  

AHIP & NFIB address affordable coverage for small businesses

 Recently, America’s Health Insurance Plans and the National Federation of Independent Business announced their desire to work together to find ways to make health insurance more affordable for small businesses.  Here is the link to their joint press release: http://www.ahip.org/content/pressrelease.aspx?docid=26222 

 One of the proposals the groups appear to agree on, is to create nationwide “essential benefit plans” for small businesses that would be exempt from state coverage mandates, but otherwise still be subject to state regulation.  Support for tax breaks for small businesses that offer health insurance and allowing individuals who receive government assistance to use the funds to pay their employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have also been mentioned.

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