PIA Says Inclusion of Agents in House Healthcare Bill is Positive, But Conce...(ecause it is unnecessary and it has the ...),Health

Date:11/9/2009

ecause it is unnecessary and it has the federal government set up insurance brokerages in competition with the private sector. Professional, independent insurance agents and brokers already perform all of the services for consumers that the bill would require the SBA to provide. The SBA provision is unnecessary, duplicative and creates needless federal expenditures."

PIA National has joined with a coalition of property/casualty insurers, agents, brokers, and reinsurers to express concern with antitrust provisions included in H.R. 3962. The proposed repeal of the McCarran-Ferguson limited antitrust exemption for health and medical malpractice insurance would disrupt the industry's business environment and create substantial legal uncertainty and unnecessary litigation. In addition, a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis determined that modifying the federal antitrust exemption for health and medical malpractice insurers "will have no significant effect" on premiums charged for private health insurance.

"The antitrust provisions included in H.R. 3962 would have no benefit on health insurance premiums, as the CBO reports, but would spur frivolous litigation," Becker said. "No good would come as a result of these provisions, only more costs and more litigation. We recommend the Senate address these concerns by removing the antitrust provisions from their version of the bill."

As passed, H.R. 3962 would also permit the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prepare studies and reports on the entire insurance industry, including property and casualty. PIA said such a broad grant of authority has no place in a bill addressing health insurance.

"Our healthcare system needs improvement - it costs too much for the quality it delivers, too many people cannot afford coverage, if they can find it, and they can lose it for getting sick," Spalding said. "Congress will probably pass something that will be called healthcare reform. The c
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SOURCE National Association of Professional Insurance Agents Copyright©2009 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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