SR 766 - Health Plans Sponsored by Associa- tions, Etc.- urge state standards

First Reader Summary

A resolution urging the Georgia congressional delegation and the United States Congress to reject any legislation that would exempt health plans sponsored by associations and multiple employer welfare arrangements from state insurance standards and oversight.

Page Numbers - 1/ 2

SR 766 98                                          LC 25 1018 
 
      SENATE RESOLUTION 766 
 
      By:  Senators Langford of the 29th, Taylor of the 12th, 
           Roberts of the 30th and others 
 
                             A RESOLUTION 
 
  1- 1  Urging the Georgia congressional delegation and the United 
  1- 2  States Congress to reject any legislation that would exempt 
  1- 3  health plans sponsored by associations and multiple employer 
  1- 4  welfare arrangements from state insurance standards and 
  1- 5  oversight; and for other purposes. 
 
  1- 6  WHEREAS, Congress is considering legislation to exempt 
  1- 7  insurance arrangements offered by associations and multiple 
  1- 8  employer welfare arrangements from state insurance reform 
  1- 9  standards; and 
 
  1-10  WHEREAS, this proposal would allow associations and multiple 
  1-11  employer welfare arrangements to be regulated by the federal 
  1-12  government under inadequate federal standards; and 
 
  1-13  WHEREAS, Congress explicitly gave states the authority to 
  1-14  regulate multiple employer welfare arrangements in 1983 
  1-15  after numerous cases of fraud, abuse, and insolvency 
  1-16  regarding multiple employer welfare arrangements; and 
 
  1-17  WHEREAS, the states, as the primary regulators of the local 
  1-18  insurance market, are better able to ensure effective 
  1-19  regulation of those entities than the federal government; 
  1-20  and 
 
  1-21  WHEREAS, federal preemption would undermine efforts states 
  1-22  have made to protect consumers through establishing minimum 
  1-23  standards for health plans; and 
 
  1-24  WHEREAS, federal preemption would undermine state insurance 
  1-25  reforms passed in recent years at the urging of business 
  1-26  groups to improve access and affordability for small 
  1-27  employers; and 
 
  1-28  WHEREAS, this exemption would seriously erode the funding 
  1-29  mechanisms of access measures for the uninsured and for 
  1-30  uncompensated care enacted by the states. 
 
  1-31  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF 
  1-32  GEORGIA that the members of this body urge the Georgia 
  1-33  congressional delegation and the United States Congress to 
  1-34  reject any legislation that would exempt health plans 
 
 
 
 
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  2- 1  sponsored by associations and multiple employer welfare 
  2- 2  arrangements from state insurance standards and oversight. 
 
  2- 3  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is 
  2- 4  authorized and directed to transmit appropriate copies of 
  2- 5  this resolution to each member of the Georgia congressional 
  2- 6  delegation, the Speaker of the United States House of 
  2- 7  Representatives, and the President of the United States 
  2- 8  Senate. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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