Jo's Cafe

Give you three guesses, the first two don’t count, on how this major organization within the industry feels about Kennedy/Obamacare.  

PIA Opposes Kennedy Proposal to Create Health Insurance “Navigators”

A proposal to award grants to public and private entities to conduct public education, distribute information and assist with health insurance enrollment is ill-advised, according to the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA).

The proposal is part of the Affordable Health Choices Act introduced by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions.

Section 3105 of the Kennedy bill says American Health Benefit Gateways would be created in every state, serving as a health insurance exchange. A “Navigators” program would award grants to public and private entities to “conduct public education; distribute fair and impartial information regarding health plans; [and] assist with enrollment and provide information that is culturally and linguistically appropriate for the population.” The bill stipulates that both health insurance issuers and current independent insurance agents would be prohibited from participating in the Navigators program.

“This proposal would give federal grants to groups with no background or expertise in health insurance the responsibility to advise businesses and individuals regarding their health insurance decisions,” said PIA National President Kenneth R. Auerbach, Esq. “In addition, it would specifically exclude licensed health insurance agents or brokers from participating, which makes no sense at all.”

“Consumers already turn to their local professional insurance agents to help them navigate the current maze of health insurance choices,” Auerbach said. “There’s no need to recreate that system. The Kennedy proposal would use taxpayers’ dollars to set up what are, in essence, federal insurance agencies for health

They want to re-invent the damn wheel.

Further Reading:

• Why the Kennedy Health Bill Would Wreck Bipartisan Reform
• Democrats Bury ‘Community Transformation’ Plans in Health Care Bill
• Text of Most Controversial Element in Health-Care Bill is Missing from Publicly Released Draft

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