- “LOOKING
BEHIND”
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- Vince Phillips
- Contract
Lobbyist
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- The New
Year is always a time to assess things.
In addition to personal evaluations of our professional
accomplishments and a listing of things undone, your Association also
needs to examine itself to see our progress and to look ahead to what
may be in store. 2003 was
an exceptionally busy year legislatively.
The pundit will immediately recognize that this is said every
year. He or she is right. PAHU
has been busy. This
activity has occurred because of the political and legislative
environment that thrusts issues at us.
There are always issues on which we have to react.
Your Association has also been able to advance members’
interests proactively so that, in all, it has been a productive time
for the Pennsylvania Association of Health Underwriters.
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- This
success is due to the quality of member participation in the public
policy process, support for the Millennium Fund and Association
leadership under two administrations –Tom Link and Chub Neiman –
who made advocacy an association priority.
What must also be stressed is the leadership shown by former
Legislative Chairman Ross Schriftman and incumbent Bill Raab.
Each individual has given unstintingly to further PAHU’s
goals. This work has been enhanced by Mark Shaffer’s work to
provide PAHU’s communication of issues by email, on the web site,
and through our state magazine. Supplementing
this are local association magazines and a new service for 2004, a
free subscription of the Leg-Reg Review that will go to members as a
member benefit.
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- On what has
PAHU been working?
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- Association
Health Plans
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- PAHU sought
to block House passage of a resolution asking the U.S. Congress to
pass AHPs. Among our
arguments was the lack of oversight that might come if the
Pennsylvania Insurance Department cannot regulate a possibly
significant part of the health market.
With us were the Insurance Department and the Attorney
General’s Office, and the Blues.
Differing from our view is NFIB and associated Builders and
Contractors. At year’s
end, the resolution has not seen legislative action.
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- Day on the
Hill and Capitol Conference
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- PAHU
members descended on Harrisburg and Washington to meet with lawmakers
and key staff to advance our cause on a number of issues including the
need for capping non-economic damages (tort reform).
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- Health Cost
Care Containment Council Reauthorization
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- Without
reauthorization by the end of June, the Pennsylvania Health Cost Care
Containment Council (PHC4) would have gone out of business.
PAHU was able to advocate reauthorization before a legislative
committee. This is
important because PHC4 issues reports permitting consumer comparison
of HMOs; issues quality of care evaluations of Pennsylvania hospitals
and evaluating mandated benefit legislation.
The Association also worked behind the scenes with Democrats to
include language providing insurance agent access to the inner
workings of the HC4 with regards to reviewing the impact proposed
mandated benefits would have on the marketplace.
PAHU was unsuccessful in its drive to include an agent on the
Council itself.
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- Health
Insurance 101
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- An annual
event, PAHU convened a staff-level briefing in Harrisburg to
familiarize the architects of health legislative policy with the
realities of the marketplace.
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- Long-Term
Care Insurance
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- PAHU has
seen significant success in promoting this market including:
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Introduction
in House and Senate of Partnership legislation. The House version passed that chamber.
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Legislation
passed the House asking the U.S. Congress to repeal the so-called
Waxman Amendment. This
would enable Pennsylvania and other states to have Partnerships.
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Support
of legislation to provide Tax Incentives for those purchasing LTC
insurance. (Passed the
House Finance Committee)
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- The Association was unable to bring closure to another resolution
calling upon the Governor to offer long-term care insurance to state
employees as an optional benefit.
Some legislators were worried that the General Assembly should
not intrude into a collective bargaining situation between state
unions and the Administration.
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- Mandated
Health Benefits
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- PAHU
advocated passage of proposals to call a moratorium to new mandated
benefits while a study could be done to evaluate whether or not
mandates drive up insurance costs and reduce availability.
A House amendment to another bill was not accepted but a Senate
bill has potential.
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- Politics
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- PAHU played
a supporting role in assisting in the election of two Republican
insurance agents to the General Assembly.
One came from Delaware County and the other came from Allegheny
County. Both succeeded.
On the democratic side, former Legislative Chairman Ross
Schriftman is running for the House from Montgomery County.
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- Producer
Licensing
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- Implementation
was the name of the game for 2003.
Act 147 became effective June 4.
One priority was simply to explain provisions of the law to
members and to assist members in navigating uncertain waters.
Because of member complaints about lengthy delays with the
criminal background checks, the Association sought to have a bill
introduced to grant provisional licensing status to new producers that
would enable them to earn an insurance livelihood during the
background check. A legislator has agreed to introduce this proposal.
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- School
District Benefits
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- PAHU argued
against taking away the school districts’ ability to decide what
benefit packages they choose for their employees in the context of a
Hay Group study of the issue mandated by the House.
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- Conclusion
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- This is a
cursory list. The
Association has also been involved in other issues such as Consumer
Advocate for Insurance and a host of other issues.
2004 is the second half of the legislative session.
Expect more attention spent by lawmakers on issues important to
us. Medical Malpractice
and the need for tort reform are not going away.
Neither is the desire by some legislators to add additional
mandated benefits that, while noble, may undermine the very system
they are designed to promote.
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