Reply #25: Had an AHP and still $450,000 in debt fighting cancer, junk plans, [View All]

[caligirl]

In the letter, FTCR told the story of Dana Christensen who "owed more than $450,000 when her husband died of bone cancer even though they had an association health plan and had purchased a special rider for chemotherapy. Your bill encourages HMOs and insurers to sell the same kind of empty benefits policy to patients across the country."

Under S. 1955, new federal rules that replace State law will be offer far weaker patient protections. When replacing state law with federal rules, the federal board need only "consider ... similar standards followed by a plurality of States."

According to FTCR, states like California and Massachusetts have some of the nation's strongest patient protections and will see patient rights rolled back if S. 1955 becomes law.

Though similar legislation has been proposed in past sessions and passed by the House of Representatives, the bill has never moved in the Senate.

The Christensens' story can be found in an online resource published by FTCR outlining the association health plans' skeletal benefits: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/healthcare/BushCare/.

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The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights is California's leading nonpartisan consumer advocacy organization. For more information, visit them on the Web at http://www.ConsumerWatchdog.org.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20060310/pl_usnw/ftcr__enzi__association_health_plan__bill_would_deregulate_health_insurance_and_gut_state_hmo_patients__rights_laws117_xml