[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 13 (Wednesday, February 5, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              PROVIDING PORTABILITY FOR MEDIGAP ENROLLEES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. NANCY L. JOHNSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 5, 1997

  Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, in the last session of 
Congress, we passed important legislation giving Americans access to 
portable insurance coverage regardless of their health status. We did 
it by enacting the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
  This new law, however, did not extend these same protections to our 
senior and disabled constituents who are on Medicare. No senior should 
be forced to live in fear that unexpected medical bills will deprive 
them of financial independence.
  That is why I am introducing, along with 30 of my colleagues, a 
portability bill for the millions of senior citizens who supplement 
their Medicare coverage with private insurance. An estimated 10 million 
senior citizens, one-third of the total number of seniors on Medicare, 
rely on medigap coverage to meet important health needs. Medigap 
insurance typically pays for prescription drugs, skilled nursing care, 
and out-of-pocket deductibles. Without medigap, seniors can face tough 
choices between paying their medical bills and meeting daily critical 
needs. And that is a choice they should not be asked to make.
  My legislation provides four important protections for seniors and 
the disabled. First, it will protect seniors with medigap insurance who 
move out of their plan's service area or whose plan goes out of 
business. This bill guarantees that those seniors will be able to 
purchase another plan with comparable coverage even if they have a 
history of severe illness. This means that seniors who relocate to 
other States can do so without the fear that they will not be able to 
secure comparable insurance coverage.
  In addition, my bill provides Medicare beneficiaries who choose to 
enroll in a Medicare HMO the security that they will be able to return 
to their medigap plan if they are not satisfied. They can utilize this 
option anytime within the first year of their enrollment.
  Third, my bill will help provide security for seniors who lose their 
employer-provided retiree health benefits. In this era of high 
bankruptcies and more and more companies withdrawing or reducing health 
coverage for retirees, this legislation will guarantee that retirees 
will always have access to insurance coverage beyond Medicare, even if 
they have had serious health problems.
  Finally, this bill will extend to disabled Medicare beneficiaries 
equal access to all medigap plans. This is an important assurance 
considering the high medical bills that people with disabilities face.
  We took significant steps last Congress with the Health Insurance 
Portability and Accountability Act. Let us not forget those who did not 
benefit from those vital safeguards. Let us protect the millions of 
senior citizens who rely on medigap policies.

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