This weekend, the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL), a bipartisan group of state lawmakers who serve on state legislative committees with jurisdiction over insurance-related matters, unanimously adopted a Resolution in Support of H.R. 1206, The Access to Professional Health Insurance Advisors Act. H.R. 1206 is the bipartisan legislation championed by NAHU to remove independent agent and broker commissions from PPACA’s medical loss ratio (MLR) requirement calculation. Read More

House and Senate leaders continue intense negotiations with President Obama regarding raising the nation’s debt ceiling and capping federal spending prior to the August 2 deadline set by the Treasury Department. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced today the Senate will not recess until a deal is reached and the House may follow suit. Health topics that appear to still be on the table relative to federal spending cuts include raising the Medicare eligibility age, means-testing Medicare, increasing Medicare co-payments, reducing federal subsidies of Medigap plans, cuts to the federal Medicaid program and extending the Medicaid drug rebate program. Read More

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed regulation today creating standards for health care cooperatives (CO-OP plans) created by PPACA. The proposed rule also addresses how potential CO-OP plans may qualify for $3.8 billion in repayable loans to help start up and capitalize these new health plans. Read More

On July 14, lawmakers introduced the latest bipartisan bill to repeal a portion of PPACA. The measure, which was brought forward by Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) in the Senate, and Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) and Shelley Berkley (D-NV) in the House, would repeal the restriction that prevents consumers from using consumer-directed account-based health products, such as Flexible Spending Arrangements and Health Savings Accounts, to pay for over-the-counter prescription drugs. Read More

Senator Harry Reid has announced that the Senate will not recess until the debt ceiling issue is resolved. This week, in addition to continued negotiations between House and Senate leadership and the White House on spending cuts and the possibility of raising the nation’s borrowing limit, there are a number of health care events scheduled. Read More

NAHU will be holding a legislative town hall webinar for all members on July 27 at 12:00 p.m. EDT. During the webinar, NAHU CEO Janet Trautwein and national Legislative Council Chair Troy Cook will discuss recent legislative and regulatory developments, like the new exchange rule and the medical loss ratio requirements, as well as NAHU’s political strategy moving forward. Read More