From FloridaChain.org
More on care, less on profits campaign
To bring down health costs and ensure that insurers put patient care over executive salaries and profits, the Affordable Care Act requires plans to spend at least 80% of each premium dollar on direct health care- this is called the Medical Loss Ratio requirement. Policy holders and employers want to get the best value for their premiums and have an interest in making sure this part of the law is not side-stepped. If insurance companies do not spend at least the minimum percentage on direct patient care they have to give policy holders back the money they should have spent in the form of rebates.
Despite Florida’s refusal to implement any other part of the ACA, the State has taken action on the Medical Loss Ratio by seeking to ease the requirements for insurers by petitioning the federal government.
Join Florida CHAIN and partners in demanding that HHS deny Florida’s application to get insurers off the hook for spending more on care and less on profits through our ORGANIZATION sign-on letter. INDIVIDUALS can sign the petition.
Affordable Care Act and the Courts
Last week, the federal appeals court in Atlanta upheld part of a lower court ruling in the lawsuit brought by Florida’s Attorney General and 26 other states. In a split decision, the court found that the ACA’s “personal responsibility” requirement that most Americans obtain health coverage is unconstitutional.
Although unfortunate, the decision is countered by those made by other federal courts that have upheld the requirement. The provision’s ultimate fate will now be determined by the U.S. Supreme Court sometime in 2012. In addition, the ruling did not invalidate any other part of the ACA, which remains the law of the land. Florida CHAIN released this statement in response.
Governor Scott continues to fight against the Affordable Care Act, including access to affordable, meaningful health care Floridians will obtain through the ACA’s coverage expansions. Meanwhile, Florida’s hard-working families subsidize his generous health insurance package, which costs him only $360 per year.
Although the coverage expansions will not begin until 2014, Florida CHAIN continues to work with partners to raise awareness about opportunities available through the Affordable Care Act as well as ACA benefits Floridians are receiving today.
Most recently, CHAIN has called attention to the fact that Florida has applied for but later turned away millions in ACA-related funding that would have directly improved the health of children, seniors and others in need. Increased media coverage has shed light on these politically motivated actions.
Scott Maxwell at the Orlando Sentinel discusses this hypocritical stance in this editorial, while Progress Florida asks Governor Scott to explain his position in this open letter.