Senate Approves House Bill 1150

Provides autism, colorectal cancer screening coverage, "Blues" oversight

The Senate today approved House Bill 1150, a measure to require insurance companies to provide coverage for autism services and colorectal cancer screening and to provide state oversight of proposed mergers involving non-profit health insurance companies, according to Senator Don White, Chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee.

House Bill 1150, as amended by the Banking and Insurance Committee, would ensure the state has regulatory authority over the proposed merger of Highmark and Independence Blue Cross, the two largest health care insurance companies in the Commonwealth. The bill also would require insurers to provide coverage of autism services and colorectal cancer screenings.

"These issues have been considered at length by the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee and its members in the course of several public hearings and in meetings with interested groups and individuals," Senator White said. "This has been a very long and complex process to say the least, but I believe that working together we reached a consensus on a package that will not only meet the concerns of the legislature and the administration, but will provide basic safeguards and vital services for the people of Pennsylvania."

Coverage for autism services would begin one year after the bill is signed into law and be capped at $36,000 per year. The cap would be adjusted on an annual basis based on the rate of inflation. Coverage would be required for businesses having 51 or more employees, a standard used by Florida, South Carolina and other states that require coverage. Companies with 50 or less employees would not be required, but could voluntarily purchase coverage.

Prior to the Senate vote, Elizabeth Emken, Vice President of Government Relations for Autism Speaks, a national organization, sent a letter to the General Assembly strongly urging a positive vote on House Bill 1150.

"Friday night, the Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations Committee passed the autism insurance reform bill, 26-0, with the support of bill sponsor Senator Jane Orie and Banking and Insurance Chairman Senator Don White," Emken said. "The vote was unanimous, with the Democrats enthusiastically joining the GOP majority, and the bill now moving forward, if signed into law, would be the strongest autism insurance mandate yet achieved in the nation."

"As seen from Ms. Emken's letter, advocates for those who will benefit from this coverage strongly support HB 1150 as a way to significantly improve the quality of life of families of autistic children," Senator White said. "The public input we have received, as well as the recent report by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, makes it quite clear that we can and should move Pennsylvania forward on this front."

Another key provision in HB 1150 is a requirement that any merger involving the "Blues" be subject to approval by the Department of Insurance. While the Insurance Department would hold final approval -- or denial -- authority for a merger of non-profit health insurance companies, the bill empowers the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee and the House Insurance Committee to receive and review all filings submitted to the Department and to develop written comments and recommendations on the merger filings.

"Anyone who has followed the proceedings of the Banking and Insurance Committee is well aware of our concerns about ensuring that this merger be thoroughly and extensively monitored by the appropriate state governmental entities to protect the rights of health care practitioners and the people of Pennsylvania who rely on those services," Senator White said. "We have a basic responsibility to ensure that any such merger not result in a monopolized market that degrades the accessibility and affordability of health care in Pennsylvania. Those concerns are addressed, I believe, in House Bill 1150."

Contact:

Joe Pittman
(724) 357-0151, cell (724) 541-0552