Monday, May 02, 2005
ACTION ALERT! - SB110 Cost of getting sick in the North Country Goes UP!
SB110 allows small business health insurance providers to discriminate against North Country citizens!
When they set your premium SB110 allow these insurance companies to look at:
The North Country has a less healthy population then the rest of the state.
The North Country has a proportionately older population than the rest of the state.
The North Country tends to have more dangerous professions such as logging.
YOU WILL GET TO PAY FOR THIS, just because of where you live!
Thanks to SB110 people in the North Country are now paying 12 times more than the lowest premium rates in the State. North Country Businesses saw a 35% increase in premium rates compared to the 12% industry norm. With many seeing a 60% percent increase!!! Some very small businesses were quoted rates of $2,200/month for a family health plan.
What are we going to do about it? Well Martha McLeod and other courageous Democrats are leading the charge in the House and Senate!
The House Commerce Committee was successful in passing HB611 along to the Senate. HB611 removes health status and geographic region as ratings factors and introduces a reinsurance pool to reduce rate increases for small businesses and working families. But HB611, while a huge step forward, does not go far enough in lowering rates and actually allows insurance companies to charge based on gender!
The Senate did an even better job by passing SB125 over to the House. If you missed my earlier post, SB 125 also repeals health status and geographic location as rating factors for small group health insurance, but goes further as it also clarifies overall premium rate variability (3.5 to 1 ratio and 20% cap) and premium rates for small employer groups with similar case characteristics. Click here to see a comparison of SB125 and HB611 bills.
SB125 is now in the House Commerce Committee and is coming up for a hearing on this Thursday, May 5. Rep. Martha McLeod tells us that she feels pretty confident that it will pass to the full House. Just in case click here to send a message to your Representatives and let them know you support SB125.
If you can make it to Concord on Thursday to show your support in person, email ben@nhforhealthcare.com and we will get you the details.
When they set your premium SB110 allow these insurance companies to look at:
1] where you liveNo big deal? But check this:
2] your current health status
3] your age
4] your
type of work
The North Country has a less healthy population then the rest of the state.
The North Country has a proportionately older population than the rest of the state.
The North Country tends to have more dangerous professions such as logging.
YOU WILL GET TO PAY FOR THIS, just because of where you live!
Thanks to SB110 people in the North Country are now paying 12 times more than the lowest premium rates in the State. North Country Businesses saw a 35% increase in premium rates compared to the 12% industry norm. With many seeing a 60% percent increase!!! Some very small businesses were quoted rates of $2,200/month for a family health plan.
What are we going to do about it? Well Martha McLeod and other courageous Democrats are leading the charge in the House and Senate!
The House Commerce Committee was successful in passing HB611 along to the Senate. HB611 removes health status and geographic region as ratings factors and introduces a reinsurance pool to reduce rate increases for small businesses and working families. But HB611, while a huge step forward, does not go far enough in lowering rates and actually allows insurance companies to charge based on gender!
The Senate did an even better job by passing SB125 over to the House. If you missed my earlier post, SB 125 also repeals health status and geographic location as rating factors for small group health insurance, but goes further as it also clarifies overall premium rate variability (3.5 to 1 ratio and 20% cap) and premium rates for small employer groups with similar case characteristics. Click here to see a comparison of SB125 and HB611 bills.
SB125 is now in the House Commerce Committee and is coming up for a hearing on this Thursday, May 5. Rep. Martha McLeod tells us that she feels pretty confident that it will pass to the full House. Just in case click here to send a message to your Representatives and let them know you support SB125.
If you can make it to Concord on Thursday to show your support in person, email ben@nhforhealthcare.com and we will get you the details.
