| |
|
| |
| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
| |
| HOUSE BILL |
|
| |
| |
| INTRODUCED BY BOYD, CLYMER, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, DENLINGER, EVERETT, GEORGE, GIBBONS, HARPER, HESS, HICKERNELL, KAUFFMAN, M. KELLER, MAHER, MILLARD, MILLER, MURT, PHILLIPS, PYLE, RAPP, ROCK, ROHRER, STERN AND VULAKOVICH, MARCH 25, 2009 |
| |
| |
| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INSURANCE, MARCH 25, 2009 |
| |
| |
| |
| AN ACT |
| |
1 | Imposing a moratorium on enactment of new or expanded health |
2 | insurance policy mandated benefits and requiring the |
3 | Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the issue |
4 | of health insurance mandates and report to the General |
5 | Assembly. |
6 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
7 | hereby enacts as follows: |
8 | Section 1. Short title. |
9 | This act shall be known and may be cited as the Mandated |
10 | Benefit Moratorium Act. |
11 | Section 2. Definitions. |
12 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
13 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
14 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
15 | "Health insurance policy." An individual or group health, |
16 | sickness or accident policy, subscriber contract or certificate |
17 | issued by an entity subject to any of the following: |
18 | (1) The act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known as |
|
1 | The Insurance Company Law of 1921. |
2 | (2) The act of December 29, 1972 (P.L.1701, No.364), |
3 | known as the Health Maintenance Organization Act. |
4 | (3) 40 Pa.C.S. Ch. 61 (relating to hospital plan |
5 | corporations) or 63 (relating to professional health services |
6 | plan corporations). |
7 | "Insurer." A foreign or domestic entity that issues a health |
8 | insurance policy in this Commonwealth. |
9 | Section 3. Mandated benefit moratorium. |
10 | (a) General rule.--Notwithstanding any other provision of |
11 | law to the contrary, pending submission to the General Assembly |
12 | of the study required under section 4, a moratorium is hereby |
13 | established during which the General Assembly shall not enact |
14 | any new or expanded health insurance policy mandated benefit. |
15 | (b) Construction.--Nothing in this act shall be construed |
16 | to: |
17 | (1) Prohibit an employer or insurer from electing to |
18 | provide new or expanded coverage under a health insurance |
19 | policy. |
20 | (2) Prohibit changes in any coverage requirements to |
21 | comply with Federal law. |
22 | Section 4. Study of existing mandated benefits. |
23 | The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee shall study the |
24 | issue of health insurance policy mandated benefits and the cost |
25 | to employers and individuals of health insurance policy |
26 | mandates. In conducting the study, the Legislative Budget and |
27 | Finance Committee shall consider cost-benefit analyses to |
28 | determine the cost-effectiveness of mandated benefits. At a |
29 | minimum, the committee shall inquire into and make |
30 | recommendations with respect to: |
|
1 | (1) All federally mandated and State-mandated health |
2 | benefits placed upon issuers in Pennsylvania since 1990. |
3 | (2) The impact of each mandated health benefit on the |
4 | premiums for health insurance policy coverage in this |
5 | Commonwealth. |
6 | (3) The social, financial and medical efficacy of each |
7 | mandated health benefit. |
8 | The committee shall submit a final report with recommendations |
9 | to the General Assembly no later than December 31, 2009, and |
10 | shall publish notice of the final report in the Pennsylvania |
11 | Bulletin within 30 days of the submission of the final report. |
12 | Section 5. Effective date. |
13 | This act shall take effect immediately. |
|