Ad by businesses, insurers blasts autism plan

A coalition of business groups and health insurers began running a web-based advertising campaign on the Sayfie Review site Thursday, opposing efforts by the Legislature and Gov. Charlie Crist to mandate insurance coverage for autism. The Senate has unanimously passed a bill (SB 2654) that would require large health insurance plans to cover diagnostic screening and treatment of autism and related disorders, and the House will soon consider its own proposal (HCC 27).

Ironically, some of the groups featured in the anti-autism mandate ad support the goals of Crist and lawmakers to pass a law that would allow insurers to offer low-cost health policies to the 3.8-million uninsured in Florida.

Comments

Pretty scary that insurers are willing to write bare-bones policies - and prefer with gov Crist the ability to do so without oversight from the State - but won't cover a known need. Makes you wonder what they will be really offering for $100 - $150 per month...

gawddamitt!!

WE'RE THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY!!

you dont expect us to pay for services when doing that would interfere with our profits, do you?

[Omega83]

Mandtaes = higher priced policies.

Higher priced policies = less people being covered.

This makes total sense...except to the Florida Legislature and Governor who insist on cutting off the nose to spite the face.

[wrongtalker]

What two businesses cannot lose money?
1. Insurance and 2. Utilities. Ain't the free enterprise system just great!

wrongtalker

1) If claims exceed revenues, insurers lose money.

2) Did you not see what happened to the California utilities in 2002?

Dear 4:01 p.m.

First, the california utilities problems were largely engineered by the executives at a handful of companies (have you ever heard of Enron, Ken Lay, George Bush, no wait, he wasn't actually on the company payroll).

Second, insurers only lose money if premiums plus investment returns on reserves are exceeded by claims. They don't actually lose money very often.

[Rich]

why don't they offer low cost health policies to all of the insured in the state of florida also??

This lobby B.S. is too much. Of course they back it. It will make them a ton more money.

Dump the insurance companies totally. They don't give health care. They deny it. So our hospital bill goes up for uninsured emergency care AND we pay an "insuror" to sit in an office and shuffle paper.

Medicare for all.

Don't worry, the House isn't going along with this. They are going to pretend to support the Senate plan while loading up the bill with poison pills (like McKay vouchers for home school students and the like). Don't worry insurance companies, the House will save you while still pandering to the parents that deserve some real help.