AIM/NCOM -Federal Bills to End Healthcare Discrimination

[TexasRed]

Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish
National Coalition of Motorcyclists

FEDERAL BILLS TO END HEALTHCARE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST BIKERS

Bipartisan companion bills were introduced on February 15th in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate that would end health insurance discrimination against motorcycle riders by preventing insurers from denying coverage to injured motorcyclists and others participating in legal but so-called "risky activities".

Both bills, introduced in the Senate as S. 616 by Senators Susan Collins (R) of Maine and Russ Feingold (D) of Wisconsin, and in the House as H.R. 1076 by Congressmen Michael C. Burgess (R) of Texas and Bart Stupak (D) of Michigan, would prohibit employers from discriminating against participants in such legal activities as motorcycling, ATV riding, skiing, snowmobiling or horseback riding, in the health insurance coverage they provide for their employees.

In recent years, some insurance companies have refused to cover insureds injured while riding their motorcycles, and Motorcycle Rights Organizations worked hard during the mid-90's to convince Congress to include language in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 to bar insurers from denying coverage to injured riders, but a lloophole in HIPAA allows insurers to continue the discriminatory practice of denying specific benefits while otherwise providing health-care coverage.

Help close this loophole and promote health-care coverage parity for motorcyclists and others engaged in legal activities by contacting your Congressional Representatives and urge them to support S. 616 in the Senate and H.R. 1078 in the House.

To find your appropriate Congressperson click here

[Mungo]

Good post TR!

To me, this is the one issue of greater importance than the right to choose to wear a helmet or not.

I hope everyone who reads this contacts their congressman and representative.

[TexasRed]

Me too Mungo. NCOM always has recommended letter templates & stuff like that. They make it real easy for any one of us to get a note out in support of the things that matter to us.