Pennsylvania Farm Bureau's
Prescription For Health
Insurance Reform
In Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
is working to achieve reforms that will make health insurance more
affordable in the Commonwealth. Some initiatives will require a change
of laws or regulations affecting insurance or the health care industry.
You can help Farm Bureau win the battle by asking your elected state
representatives to support changes which include the following: Community
Rating – Mandate
the use of community rating by all insurance carriers as the method
to determine health insurance rates.
Community rating reflects the
experience of the entire pool of individuals and uses that combined
experience to set rates that are the same for every member of that
community. Unlike the “demographic” rating method, factors
such as age, gender, family status or occupation are not considered
or reflected in the health insurance premium for each subscriber (Senate
Bill 761).
More Oversight – Provide the State Insurance Department
more authorityfor review and oversight of proposed health premiums,
and give insured persons more opportunity to provide meaningful input
on health plans and rates. Lower Insurance Company Costs – Change
the method that insurance carriers use to calculate how much revenue
goes for administration so that it is based on actual costs rather
than becoming an automatic percentage of a large rate increase.
Limit
On Reserves – Establish standards for an appropriate level of
cash reserve that an insurance carrier can accumulate before returning
excess funds to subscribers through lower insurance rates.
Report Card
On Carriers – Create a report-card system to enable consumers
to better understand, evaluate and compare health insurers for quality
and affordability of health insurance.
Medical Malpractice Reform – Enable
voters to decide whether the Constitution should be amended to allow
caps on non-economic damages in civil litigation cases (House Bill
1326 & Senate Bill 50).
For Current Information
Please Call PFB Health Services at 1-800-522-2375
Email
*Restrictions may apply. Any Pennsylvania Farm Bureau member or dependents
who meets the Capital Blue Cross or Independence Blue Cross Association
guidelines may apply for coverage |
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