Maine Insurance

Sparkling health insurance funds are to formulate their own plans for the coverage of small businesses and individuals. Insurers hope to develop new laws being drafted, the fight against practices such as “blacklists” of certain professions, red-lining neighborhoods and price gouging.

But commercial insurers and Blue Cross and Blue Shield groups are fighting among themselves on certain issues. Among commercial enterprises, the 10 largest insurers of small groups in each state would pay for a backup reinsurance pool to cover high-risk customers. But some groups already Blue Cross for all candidates, even if the high premiums. Thus the national authorities and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association indicates reinsurance pool participation should not be mandatory in every state.

Among the Blue Cross and commercial proposals, coverage for all candidates, regardless of health, profession or geographic location. For the legend of risks, premiums could be 50 percent higher than for others. That would be a step forward, the insurer said, compared to 400 percent of differences of certain companies.

The Health Insurance Association of America, a trade group for 300 commercial insurers, pushing a series of reinsurance in New Jersey, Maine and Minnesota and says he will probably soon be proposed in Ohio and Wisconsin. “These are proposals that would restrict our ability to strongly money in the small group market,” said Carl Schramm, president of the association.

But in a policy called Open Enrollment, Blue Cross already all succession plans in 13 states and the District of Columbia. In most cases, it is free the same phrases, and whatever the profession or health status, ie community rating. These associations designed to help business of reinsurance.

The individual in the State of New York can obtain coverage at any time, Blue Cross, said Albert A. Cardone, president of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield. Although new members are not recorded during the first 11 months for existing conditions, they are completely covered, then, even for AIDS. But Empire has ceased, for example, professional associations, and its members must now pay the highest rates. “Everyone has access to health insurance them,” said Cardone. “The problem is that it can not all.”

The idea of reinsurance is being tested in Connecticut, where the pool begins on 1 May. Connecticut Blue Cross official said that the new law is the strength of the association at the beginning of “Medical Underwriting for the first time, in order to remain competitive. In the medical underwriting, increased contributions to the detriment of those who should be costly health problems.

Mary Nell Hard Lehn, a national network Blue Cross Vice President, said the Connecticut law could increase costs for all health insurance funds. “Twenty percent of people registered tpically about 80 per cent of costs,” she said. “If the cost of reducing by 20 per cent, they must be increased too quickly for many people, could lead to what political problems.” The question will be discussed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The Working Group developing a model law to recommend to legislators and regulators in 50 states.

In Congress, Pete Stark, chairman of the Subcommittee on Health of the House Ways and Means Committee, said he favored a bill restoring the tax exemption on the Blue Cross plans, and community Open Enrollment notation.

Only 21 of the 73 Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans might be the conditions for exemption provided by law, sponsored by Charles B. Rangel representative, Democrat of Manhattan. But the national Blue Cross. The measure is likely to be part of the next fiscal package.

Mr. Stark is Rangel, taking into account the approach a little further. Argument that the industry proposed modifications would not be enough to reach the 37 million Americans uninsured, M. Stark said he believed that all insurers to offer and the Open Enrollment notation. The new rules would also apply to self-insured employers are exempt from many provisions under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.