A Bill of Bad Health: Contact Your Senators

From NM Voices for Children:
The U.S. Senate is currently considering the “Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act of 2005,” aka S. 1955. This legislation helps the few and hurts the many. The bill is lauded by its conservative sponsors as a way to reduce health insurance costs, but a study by the Center on Budget Policy Priorities (CBPP) shows otherwise.

What S. 1955 will do is override laws enacted at the state level that were put in place to regulate the industry and protect consumers. This will allow insurance companies to base the rates they charge any given business on the age and health status of that business’ employees. The result, many believe, will be that rates will go up for small businesses – particularly those with an older workforce or employees with pre-existing conditions – who will then either have to drop their employees’ insurance or resort to significantly scaled-back coverage. Bargain-basement coverage, the AARP says, that will no longer include vital screenings for illnesses such as cancer and diabetes.

The Senate is scheduled to debate S. 1955 this week.

What you can do:

• Email our senators and tell them to vote NO on 1955.
• Senator Jeff Bingaman at senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov
• Senator Pete Domenici via a form at https://www.domenici.senate.gov
• Read the CBPP’s report on how similar legislation was tried – and eventually repealed – in New Hampshire at https://www.cbpp.org/4-26-06health.pdf

Listen In:
Our own Kay Monaco is a guest this afternoon on the Lee Logan show (perhaps one of the few locally-produced progressive talk shows). She’ll be speaking about our up-coming Race Matters conference.

Listen in from 4:30 to 5:00 PM today (Monday, May 8), on KAGM (106.3 FM in Albuquerque, 94.7 FM in Northern New Mexico). You can even join in the discussion by calling in (314-TALK in Albuquerque, 866-339-5986 outside Albuquerque).