House Bill 4835

    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HM 4835

        By Representative Boyd






  1                          House Memorial

  2         A memorial urging Congress to reject

  3         legislation preempting state authority to

  4         regulate health insurance arrangements offered

  5         by certain associations and business groups,

  6         commonly known as multiple employer welfare

  7         arrangements or association health plans.

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  9         WHEREAS, Congress is considering legislation to exempt

10  insurance arrangements offered by associations and multiple

11  employer welfare arrangements from state insurance

12  requirements, and

13         WHEREAS, this proposal would allow associations and

14  multiple employer welfare arrangements to be regulated by the

15  federal government under inadequate federal standards, and

16         WHEREAS, Congress explicitly gave states authority to

17  regulate multiple employer welfare arrangements in 1983 after

18  numerous cases of fraud, abuse, and insolvency regarding

19  multiple employer welfare arrangements, and

20         WHEREAS, the states, as the primary regulators of the

21  local insurance market, are better able to assure effective

22  regulation of these entities than the federal government, and

23         WHEREAS, federal preemption would undermine efforts

24  states have made to protect consumers through establishing

25  minimum standards for health plans, and

26         WHEREAS, federal preemption would undermine state

27  insurance reforms passed in recent years at the urging of

28  business groups to improve access and affordability for small

29  employers, NOW, THEREFORE,

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31  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HM 4835

    590-131A-98






  1         That the Legislature of the State of Florida urges its

  2  delegation to Congress and the Congress as a whole to reject

  3  any legislation that would exempt health plans sponsored by

  4  associations and multiple employer welfare arrangements from

  5  state insurance standards and oversight.

  6         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution

  7  be sent to each member of Congress.

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