| Legislative & Regulatory Information |
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Click here for Cindy Sovine's PowerPoint from the CSAHU Day at the Capitol. **** It’s time to halt unfunded health insurance mandates on small business and individuals in Colorado. PLEASE contact the State Veterans Affairs Committee and ask them to support this bill (Contact info below)! YOU ARE THE ONE WHO CAN TURN A CLIENTS FRUSTRATION ON PREMIUM INCREASES INTO ACTION. NOW IS THE TIME. PLEASE GET YOUR CLIENTS TO CALL OR EMAIL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS BELOW TO SUPPORT THIS BILL Colorado HB 1154, mandate review and moratorium bill has been introduced. The bill does 2 things.
Here is a link to the bill: IMPORTANT: The Speaker of the House Terrance Carroll has assigned it to a “kill committee” State Affairs instead of Business Affairs and Labor where all insurance bills traditionally go. We expect it to be calendared for hearing shortly. Leadership doesn’t want this bill to come out of the first committee. That means we have to turn up the heat on the members of the State Affairs Committee to show them why this bill is so important and necessary for small groups across this state. Please take the time to prep your clients on the importance of getting involved. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Click here for the Council for Affordable Health Insurance’s 2009 Mandate Report and here for CSAHU’s white paper we are using with legislators. Representative Nancy Todd - D, Chair (HD 41: Aurora/Arapahoe County) Representative Jean Labuda – D, Vice-Chair (HD 1: Denver/Arapahoe and Jefferson County) Representative Ed Casso – D (HD 32: Adams County) Rep. Lois Court – D (HD 6: Arapahoe, Denver Rep. Dickie Lee Hullinghorst – D (HD 10: Boulder) Rep. Beth McCann – D (HD 8: Denver) Rep. Joe Miklosi – D (HD 9: Denver, Arapahoe County) -------------------------------- Rep. Brian Delgrosso – R (HD 51: Larimer County) Rep. Carol Murray – R (HD 45: Douglas, Teller County) Rep. BJ Nikkel – R (HD 49: Larimer & Weld County) Rep. Mark Waller – R (HD 15: ElPaso County) Thank you so much! Sovine Miller & Company ###
Below is a link to a new bulletin that addresses marketing individual health plans to small employers that we thought you would appreciate getting. http://www.dora.state.co.us/insurance/regs/B-4.32.pdf The DOI needs your current email address as it is their goal to go paperless. In the future all communication to license holders will be by e-mailed - even renewal notices. All licensees need to make sure that SIRCON has their current email address. *************************** Legislative Update Click here for the latest CSAHU Bill Dossier
Click here for an article on the Legislature, Interim Activities and Getting to Know your Elected Officials from Cindy Sovine Miller Recently the DOI has begun investigating the use of individual health insurance policies in conjunction with employer sponsored Health Reimbursement Accounts. he DOI’s position at this time is that these arrangements may violate existing state law and DOI regulations. It would be wise to consult your own legal advisor or the Colorado Division of Insurance before offering these arrangements. Click here for Cindy Sovine's update on the opening of the 2009 Colorado Legislative session **************************** PAC Click here for the local political action contribution form **************************** HUPAC Click here for the HUPAC contribution form *************************** Summary of JBC Staff Briefing **************************** GOV. RITTER SIGNS HEALTH AND WELLNESS BILL INTO LAW
“This legislation will help employers maintain a healthy workforce, and it will encourage employees to take personal responsibility for their health by participating in wellness programs,” Gov. Ritter said. “It also comes at a time when we need our workforce to be healthy and strong to lead Colorado forward.” “Providing incentives for wellness is a common sense idea that benefits our health and our pocketbooks. Employees will be healthier and employers can increase productivity, all while reducing health care costs. Now that’s a win-win,” Rep. Rice said. “Also, employees welcome the extra motivation to quit smoking, to exercise, or to lose weight.” “This wellness and prevention bill will help the employer minimize absenteeism, increase productivity and reduce health care costs,” Sen. Newell said. “It will also help the employee control his or her own health care costs and have a better chance of better health. Healthy communities mean healthy workers and a healthy economy. It's truly a win-win scenario of personal and business responsibility." “HB 1103 could make Colorado the first in the nation to speed up the process of Medicaid eligibility for long-term care,” said Sen. Newell. ---------------------
House Bill 1385, passed in this year’s legislative session, will require disclosure of producer commissions for “health care insurance”. Disclosure is to be provided to the consumer at the time of proposal and must be re-submitted to the consumer if compensation rates change before the time of sale. The disclosure to the consumer must include notification that the producer is compensated with a commission and also must include a copy of the standard commission schedule for the product(s) being proposed. Additional compensation, such as bonuses need not be disclosed. DOI regulations require that the disclosure shall be made in writing, that it should be signed by the consumer and that a copy retained by the Producer. Under DOI regulation 1-2-17 “health care insurance” is defined as having the same meaning as “health coverage plan” as defined in the Colorado Revised Statutes. This interpretation means that producers will be required to disclose commissions on all insurance products that provide payments to medical care providers. This includes group and individual medical, dental, vision, long term care, Medicare supplement, Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans. The Legislative Committee has prepared “Sample” commission disclosure forms for use by our members in crafting their own disclosure forms. The forms are set in a Word format to make editing as easy as possible. Please note that the DOI has refused to approve or disapprove any specific disclosure form. These forms are only samples and should be adapted to each member’s specific situation. These forms are samples only. CSAHU assumes no liability the accuracy of the various commission rates illustrated. Please review these forms and amend them as necessary. Click the links below for the corresponding statements: Dental Commission DisclosureIndividual Health Commission Disclosure Small Group Commission Disclosure Vision Commission Disclosure **************************************** Uniting as An Industry, 2009 and Beyond Click here for a pdf of Cindy Sovine's PowerPoint Governor Ritter’s Fiscal Year 09-10 Proposed State Budget Click here for the complete budget proposal Health Care:
Federal Level State Level
Regulatory Grass Roots – Get Involved!
CSAHU Membership Directory Click here for the CSAHU Membership Directory CSAHU Legislative CommitteeThe CSAHU Legislative Committee is comprised with representatives from all of the Colorado chapters. The Committee meets weekly during the legislative session to review bills and give directional input on how the health care delivery system and CSAHU members and their clients will be affected. Status reports during the session will be available here: For more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Legislative Chair Click here for the 2009 CSAHU End of Session Report Click here for a list of legislators who supported HB07-1355, removal of health status and claims experience as rating factors. CSAHU Political ConsultantThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it is the political and public relations consultant for CSAHU. Click here for the latest Newsletter from Sovine Miller & Co. |
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