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- LEG REG REVIEW
- 2004, Twelfth
Issue
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- LEG REG REVIEW is a periodic newsletter produced by PHILLIPS ASSOCIATES,
a professional lobbying and consultant firm based near the State
Capitol. It contains
news on the Legislative and Regulatory scene in Pennsylvania that
may be of use to insurance producers, companies, and interested
parties. It is a free
Member Service if you are a member of the Pennsylvania Association
of Health Underwriters (PAHU) or the PA Surplus Lines Association (PSLA).
Subscription information may be obtained by contacting
PHILLIPS ASSOCIATES at 717/728-1217, Fax 717/728-1164 or E-mail to xenobun@aol.com.
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- IMPORTANT NOTICE TO LEG-REG RECIPIENTS
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- Conversion to email
distribution of the Leg-Reg Review should take place by late
May unless you have asked us specifically to keep you in a faxed
format. Please email jtrout2792@aol.com
supplying both your fax number and your desired email address.
If you do not wish to receive this publication, please let us
know and we will delete your name from our distribution list.
(NOTE: PAHU and PSLA members receive this as a free member
service.)
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- H
S A BILL PASSES COMMITTEE TEST
- In another near miss, HB 2299 (Payne-R-Dauphin) survived another
test as it moved through the House Health and Human Services
Committee April 13. At
issue was not the basic content of the bill to enhance Federal tax
incentives for purchasers of Health savings accounts with comparable
PA tax incentives. Rather it was a proposed amendment to mandate community
rating for all health insurance programs.
This marked the second effort to move the bill through
committee. The first time on March 30, the bill was pulled from the
committee agenda because of the mandated community rating issue and
because the chairman wanted more time to confer with Republican
members before attempting a committee vote.
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- HOUSE
INSURANCE COMMITTEE MOVES DEDUCTIBLE BILL
- On the P/C side, the House Insurance Committee met April 13 to
move SB 815 (D. White-R-Indiana).
This legislation governs treatment of large deductibles if
there is insolvency such as Reliance’s.
SB 815 was amended at the committee meeting to include
language on insurance for deductibles in context of insolvency.
If the House agrees with the bill, it will have to go back to
the senate for concurrence.
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- HOUSE POLICY COMMITTEE FOCUSES ON HEALTH
- The House Republican Policy Committee apparently is taking on the
difficult task of preparing proposals for PA to grapple with
problems surrounding affordability of health insurance according to
Majority Leader Sam Smith. This
work supplements efforts begun by Insurance Committee Chairman
Nicholas Micozzie (R-Delaware) with two stakeholder meetings trying
to develop a basic benefit package.
The stakeholders’ meetings got bogged down in divisive
issues such as whether or not there should be mandatory community
rating. The House
Republican Policy Committee will be convening hearings throughout
the spring and summer.
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- ON THE FEDERAL SIDE:
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The
U.S. Senate has a bill to repeal the Waxman Amendment.
It would permit states like PA to finally begin offering
Long-Term Care Partnerships. Prime
sponsors are Senators Larry Craig (R-ID) and Evan Bayh (D-IN).
PA Senator Rick Santorum is also a sponsor.
This bill parallels HR 1406 advanced by PA Rep. John
Peterson.
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The
Treasury Department issued specific guidance on the new Health
Savings Accounts authorized by passage of the 2003 Medicare Reform
law. Text is available
from www.nahu.org/government/issues/MSAs/HSAs-HSSAs/index.htm.
One of the components of the Treasury guidelines is that consumers
opening HSAs by April 15, 2005 can receive reimbursements for 2004
medical expenses because of the program’s infancy.
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New
Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services is
former FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan.
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- SURPLUS
LINES MEETING DETAILS
- The
Pennsylvania Surplus Lines Association (PSLA) convenes its Annual
Membership Meeting at the Hotel Hershey April 20-21.
In addition to a business meeting and election of officers,
PSLA’s meeting offers programs as follows:
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April
20 Ethics 101 and Environmental Liability (CE credits)
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April
21 CEO Panel on the Market, Terrorism and TRIA Update, Insurance
E&O, and Trends in Combating Insurance Fraud (CE credits)
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Non-CE
seminars include a luncheon presentation April 20 on Federal versus
State Regulation with PAIFA’s CEO Scott Jackson and evening
remarks by H. James Griffith, NAPSLO President, on a National
Perspective for the Surplus Lines.
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Details: 717/732-7255
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- MEETINGS
TO NOTE:
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Central
PA I Day on April 29 at the Camp Hill Radisson has sessions on HIPAA
Compliance, Insurance Certificates, a Mock Trial on E&O,
Internet Liability, and others plus an exhibit area.
Given the April 14 HIPAA compliance date for small
businesses, the I Day session on HIPAA Compliance is especially
timely. Details: Margaret Lee-Williams 800/761-1882 x 4032.
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The
Bureau of Worker’s Compensation is again soliciting industry input
as to the program for its annual WC Conference.
To be held May 10-11, 2005, the Conference seeks advice for
the following areas (with meeting date for input to be received):
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Adjudication/Legal
meeting June 14
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Claims
meeting June 18
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Compliance/Fraud
meeting June 9
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Health
& Safety including safety committees meeting June 15
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Health
Care/Medical meeting June 1
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WC
Insurance Trends, Costs, Compensation Rates meeting June 3
- All committee meetings will be held at WC Bureau
1171 S. Cameron St. in Harrisburg, Room 326.
Details: Kathleen Dupin (kduprin@state.pa.us)
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