Washington, D.C. — Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) today (Friday, Jan. 15) called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.) to eliminate the practice of placing lifetime caps on insurance plans for both existing and new plans in the final health care reform bill.
Sen. Franken was joined by six of his Senate colleagues to urge leadership to adopt the House provision with respect to lifetime limits on insurance coverage.
The Senate version eliminates lifetime limits for all new plans six months after enactment. Existing plans are “grandfathered” and can continue to impose lifetime limits indefinitely. In comparison, the House bill eliminates lifetime limits for both new and existing plans in 2010.
“All Minnesotans deserve to know that they’re no longer subject to arbitrary and discriminatory lifetime caps on insurance coverage,” said Sen. Franken. “As we work to improve this bill, fixing this is a provision will go a long way toward filling the gaps in national health care reform.”
For millions of Americans affected by chronic disease, rare disorders or those who face a major medical crisis, having health insurance does not guarantee coverage. Many private insurers set lifetime limits on care, and no additional coverage is provided once these limits are reached. Patients who exceed their lifetime limits must find other ways to pay for care. By preserving these lifetime caps, patients in existing “grandfathered” plans will be left behind as strong patient protections are extended to those who are newly insured.
