(Augusta) The Public Hearing
on LD
1620, "An Act to Protect Health Care Consumers from
Catastrophic Medical Debt," will be held
Wednesday, February 3rd at 1:00 PM in the
Insurance and Financial Services Committee (Room 427) at
the State House. The bill is
sponsored by House Majority Whip Seth Berry and has
bipartisan support with 46 cosponsors. Consumers for Affordable Health Care
(CAHC) along with
Maine Voices for Coverage
Campaign is strongly in
favor of this legislation which asks that lifetime and
annual caps be eliminated from health insurance
plans. CAHC
released a report last month, "False Security: Health Insurance That
Doesn't Pay When You Need It Most," which
explains why getting rid of these caps is better for
Maine people and our economy.
Maine families, like
Theresa and Rocky D'Andrea from Limerick, found out the
hard way what it's like to pay insurance premiums for
years, and still not get the care they need when they
need it most.
Rocky was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. Within days of
treatment, the couple reached the $250,000
lifetime cap on their health insurance plan. Now the family
is in financial ruin-all while still trying to keep
Rocky alive and try to figure out how to pay the bills
that continue to come in. Theresa said,
"My husband and I have worked hard our whole lives-have
paid our taxes, and he even served in the Army during
the Vietnam War.
When his government called, he answered right
away. Together we figure we've given about 60 years
worth of taxes and money to Medicare/Medicaid and Social
Security.
And yet, we are now in financial ruin. We are asking
ourselves-who will answer our call for
help?"
Economists have proven that when people have
good health coverage and can get the care they need when
they need it, the cost to our community and health care
system is far less than when people are uninsured. By setting caps
for people who still need care, it not only hurts the
health of our neighbors, friends and family, but also
costs all tax payers much more in the long run. It just makes
sense to allow people to remain on their private
insurance coverage.
"While it's exciting to see the elimination of
lifetime and annual caps in national health reform bills
being considered by Congress, the proposals may not take
effect until 2014.
We need to make sure lifetime and annual caps are
prohibited immediately at the state level. Maine needs LD
1620 to protect people like the D'Andrea family from
financial ruin and harm," says CAHC Executive Director
Joe Ditré.
