May 2006

2 DC associations support new healthcare bill

A new small business healthcare bill, an alternative to S.1955, has been introduced into the Senate. The Small Employers Health Benefits Program Act (SEHBP), S.2510, was introduced on April 5 and currently has 24 co-sponsors.

S.1955 (Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act of 2006) is scheduled to come to full Senate vote in early May. The chiropractic community, including all of the major national chiropractic associations, has rallied in opposition to this bill.

The International Chiropractors Association (ICA) and the World Chiropractic Alliance both endorse the new association healthcare bill. The American Chiropractic Association has declined to support it and remains focused on the defeat of S.1955.

In a press release, the ICA said, “This legislation would make important improvements in the small business and small group insurance market, without expanding the reach of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to exempt such small plans from insurance equality and consumer protection laws enacted by the states.”

The ERISA provision of S.1955 is one of the key reasons why the chiropractic community, including all of the national associations, have rallied in opposition of S.1955.

“S.2510 provides the means to assist small businesses in attaining affordable health insurance, without stripping the insurance marketplace of important state protections,” said ICA Legislative Committee Co-chair Michael McLean, DC.

WCA President, Terry Rondberg, DC, echoed ICA’s statements. “This positive legislation will provide the chiropractic profession and the consumer an important option, since it provides the means to assist small businesses in attaining affordable health insurance, without costing the insurance marketplace important state protections.”

WCA is part of the Chiropractic Coalition, whose members include ICA and the Federation of Straight Chiropractors and Organizations (FSCO).

In a statement to Chiropractic Economics, ACA’s Executive Vice President Kevin Corcoran said that ACA does not intend to support this bill. “We have dedicated ourselves to the outright defeat of S.1955. Endorsing S.2510 or any other AHP [association healthcare plan] would imply that ACA and its members are open to compromise language that would make S.1955 acceptable to us. Nothing could be further from the truth.

“As long as the centerpiece of S.1955 is the preemption of state mandates, the bill be rotten at its core, and cannot be salvaged. … When S.1955 is defeated, there will be ample time for the consideration of alternatives. Until that time, our focus remains on the grave threat the S.1955 represents to the chiropractic profession and to the American people.”

Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln highlighted portions of theS.2510 (SEHBP):

• It is based on the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, which is provided to federal employees;

• The bill will allow small businesses across America to pool together into one risk and purchasing pool and reap the benefits of group purchasing power and streamlined administrative costs;

• Enrollees will be covered by state consumer protection laws, such as benefit mandates and solvency standards; and

• State insurance commissioners will continue to regulate solvency, grievance processes, internal review and network adequacy laws.

S.2510 is available to review online. Go to the Library of Congress’ Thomas Web site, http://thomas.loc.gov/. Type in S.2510 to search for the bill.

Sources: Library of Congress, http://thomas.loc.gov/; International Chiropractors Association, www.chiropractic.org; World Chiropractors Alliance, www.worldchiropracticalliance.org; American Chiropractic Association, www.acatoday.com.

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