OKPOLICY.ORG
Two bills under consideration by the 2009 Legislature would allow health insurance companies to offer insurance policies to individuals under the age of 40 that do not cover health services that must otherwise be provided under state law. These mandated benefits primarily cover services for women, children and persons with chronic and serious illnesses, such as diabetes and cancer. OK Policy has expressed concern that these proposals risk leaving people without coverage for vital health services and could raise insurance costs for the most vulnerable segments of the population.
Click to read the introduced versions of HB 2026 and HB 1038
Read our op-ed on this proposal and the letter we sent to legislators about HB 2216.
Here is the full list of mandated health insurance benefits that could be waived under HB 2216. It includes:
- Diabetes equipment, supplies and services;
- Post-partum maternity care;
- Annual obstetrical/gynecological examinations
- Child immunizations;
- Inpatient care following breast cancer surgery;
An issue brief by Families USA makes a strong argument for why limited benefit plans are not the right course for addressing the problems of the uninsured.
