Lghtning4u
05-26-2004, 03:23 PM
Will Your Insurance Pay the Claim?
HIPAA creates a situation where an accident could wipe out a family with a single medical emergency.....
Get this flyer in the hands of every person you can!!!!
Some History:
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) was passed in 1996. Its purpose was to assure health insurance coverage for all citizens regardless of employment. In addition, bikers at the time had influenced congress to specifically include motorcyclists in the verbiage of H.R.3103 (the originating bill) because many health insurance companies had historically denied coverage if someone rides a motorcycle.
After passing H.R.3103 (becoming Public Law #104-191), Congress then passed the job of working out the rules of the new law to the bureaucrats of the time, such as the Dept of Health and Human Services, and gave them 5 years in which to arrive at the administrative rules governing the Act. During the very complex process some wording was added, and the unintended consequence is that insurance companies currently have the right to decide whether or not you were engaged in a risky behavior (people such as skateboarders, skiers, mountain climbers, horse riders, motorcyclists, etc...) and if so determined, deny payment of benefits.
In Jan-2001, after the rules became known, Congressman Mark Green- (Wis) drafted a letter. More than 50 congressmen co-signed it urging Health and Human Services to revisit the issue and make corrections in line with the legislators' intent. In that review process, it was learned that the Federal Government (by virtue of the McCarron-Ferguson Act, a circa 1940s law) takes 2nd place in making any laws regarding insurance benefits.
In fact, the law specifically says this issue should only be addressed at the State level, (USC Title 15, Chapter 20, Sec. 1011 - "Congress hereby declares that the continued regulation and taxation by the several States of the business of insurance is in the public interest, and that silence on the part of Congress shall not be construed to impose any barrier to the regulation or taxation of such business by the several States.") and Congress has repeatedly remained silent on insurance issues in the 60 years or so since the McCarron-Ferguson Act became law.
Current Actions:
Because one should never stop trying, there is currently two bills before Congress written to fix the unintended consequences created by the bureaucrats who screwed up the HIPAA Act. The Title of both bills below is: "A bill to promote health care coverage parity for individuals participating in legal recreational activities or legal transportation activities."
If we have success with either bill, the HIPAA loophole will be closed for all states,
to the benefit of all riders across the country.
S.423 (introduced 2/14/2003) Sponsor: Sen. Susan M. Collins, Maine
Cosponsors: 4
Latest Major Action: 2/14/2003 Referred to Senate committee.
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
To determine if your Senator has signed on as a cosponsor:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:SN00423:@@@P
H.R.1749 (introduced 4/10/2003) Sponsor: Rep. Scott McInnis, Colorado
Cosponsors: 138
Latest Major Action: 5/2/2003 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.
To determine if your Rep has signed on as a cosponsor:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:HR01749:@@@P
What to do:
· Call your Congress-Critters and urge them to co-sign either of the above bills.
· Start the process of addressing this problem in your own Statehouse. Remember, The McCarron-Ferguson Act is working against us at the Federal level.
As an example, read the bill before the Texas Legislature this year: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/capitol.htm. Change the slider to "78th Regular Session - 2003" then type in HB 2262 in the box.
· Educate yourself at this "Motorcycle Riders Foundation" site, http://www.mrf.org/healthcare.php
· Join the discussions on the "Sons of Liberty Riders" web site and get up to speed so you can join the fight.
For more information contact the MRF office in Washington D.C. at 202-546-0983 or www.mrf.org
Visit the Sons of Liberty Riders at www.solriders.com
This information paid for and brought to you by the Sons of Liberty Riders
HIPAA creates a situation where an accident could wipe out a family with a single medical emergency.....
Get this flyer in the hands of every person you can!!!!
Some History:
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) was passed in 1996. Its purpose was to assure health insurance coverage for all citizens regardless of employment. In addition, bikers at the time had influenced congress to specifically include motorcyclists in the verbiage of H.R.3103 (the originating bill) because many health insurance companies had historically denied coverage if someone rides a motorcycle.
After passing H.R.3103 (becoming Public Law #104-191), Congress then passed the job of working out the rules of the new law to the bureaucrats of the time, such as the Dept of Health and Human Services, and gave them 5 years in which to arrive at the administrative rules governing the Act. During the very complex process some wording was added, and the unintended consequence is that insurance companies currently have the right to decide whether or not you were engaged in a risky behavior (people such as skateboarders, skiers, mountain climbers, horse riders, motorcyclists, etc...) and if so determined, deny payment of benefits.
In Jan-2001, after the rules became known, Congressman Mark Green- (Wis) drafted a letter. More than 50 congressmen co-signed it urging Health and Human Services to revisit the issue and make corrections in line with the legislators' intent. In that review process, it was learned that the Federal Government (by virtue of the McCarron-Ferguson Act, a circa 1940s law) takes 2nd place in making any laws regarding insurance benefits.
In fact, the law specifically says this issue should only be addressed at the State level, (USC Title 15, Chapter 20, Sec. 1011 - "Congress hereby declares that the continued regulation and taxation by the several States of the business of insurance is in the public interest, and that silence on the part of Congress shall not be construed to impose any barrier to the regulation or taxation of such business by the several States.") and Congress has repeatedly remained silent on insurance issues in the 60 years or so since the McCarron-Ferguson Act became law.
Current Actions:
Because one should never stop trying, there is currently two bills before Congress written to fix the unintended consequences created by the bureaucrats who screwed up the HIPAA Act. The Title of both bills below is: "A bill to promote health care coverage parity for individuals participating in legal recreational activities or legal transportation activities."
If we have success with either bill, the HIPAA loophole will be closed for all states,
to the benefit of all riders across the country.
S.423 (introduced 2/14/2003) Sponsor: Sen. Susan M. Collins, Maine
Cosponsors: 4
Latest Major Action: 2/14/2003 Referred to Senate committee.
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
To determine if your Senator has signed on as a cosponsor:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:SN00423:@@@P
H.R.1749 (introduced 4/10/2003) Sponsor: Rep. Scott McInnis, Colorado
Cosponsors: 138
Latest Major Action: 5/2/2003 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.
To determine if your Rep has signed on as a cosponsor:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:HR01749:@@@P
What to do:
· Call your Congress-Critters and urge them to co-sign either of the above bills.
· Start the process of addressing this problem in your own Statehouse. Remember, The McCarron-Ferguson Act is working against us at the Federal level.
As an example, read the bill before the Texas Legislature this year: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/capitol.htm. Change the slider to "78th Regular Session - 2003" then type in HB 2262 in the box.
· Educate yourself at this "Motorcycle Riders Foundation" site, http://www.mrf.org/healthcare.php
· Join the discussions on the "Sons of Liberty Riders" web site and get up to speed so you can join the fight.
For more information contact the MRF office in Washington D.C. at 202-546-0983 or www.mrf.org
Visit the Sons of Liberty Riders at www.solriders.com
This information paid for and brought to you by the Sons of Liberty Riders