Health Insurance Coverage Protection Act Introduced In U.S. House of Representatives

On Thursday, July 17, 2008, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (CA) along with Representatives Betty Sutton (OH), Jason Altmire (PA) and James Langevin (RI) introduced H.R. 6528, the Health Insurance Coverage Protection Act, which raises the minimum lifetime cap for private health insurance to $10 million. This bill is identical to the Senate bill (S. 2706) that was introduced by Senator Byron Dorgan in March during NHF's Washington Days. H.R. 6528:

• Sets the minimum level of a lifetime cap placed on a group health plan at $5 million for the first two years and $10 million in years three and four.
  
  
• Provides for an annual inflationary adjustment to a group insurance plan's lifetime cap based on the consumer price index in subsequent years.
  
  
• Exempts health plans offered to businesses with fewer than 20 employees, but would require that health plans meeting the parameters of the bill be offered to a small business at the employer's request.
  
  
• Calls for an Institute of Medicine Study to determine the number of individuals who reach their lifetime caps.

Introduction of the House bill is a result of the cumulative efforts of the bleeding disorders community. Special recognition goes out to the members of the California chapters who contacted Congresswoman Eshoo and to the Northern Ohio Hemophilia Foundation, the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of NHF, and New England Hemophilia Association who visited with Representatives Sutton, Altmire and Langevin during NHF's Washington Days. If you haven't already done so, please contact your U.S. senators and representative to urge them to co-sponsor these important bills. There is still time!

The NGF, together with the National Hemophilia Foundation and other organizations, will continue to work on this legislation. As you may recall, in 1996, Senator Jim Jeffords offered an amendment on the Senate floor to the "Kassebaum health reform bill." This amendment was defeated; however, in 1997 Senator Jeffords introduced legislation setting a minimum lifetime cap at $10 million. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, in 1996, also introduced legislation setting lifetime caps at $10 million. The Jeffords and Eshoo bills provided an annual update indexed to the rate of inflation.

What you need to know

• Health Subcommittee List
• New Co-sponsors

Templates:
    Sponsorship/Thank you letters

• Senator/Representative Sponsorship Request
• Thank You for your support

Progress & Updates

• June 15, 2009
• February 13, 2009