upstate rider
04-17-2003, 11:21 PM
House Bill Introduced to End Biker Health-Insurance Bias
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association reports a
measure has been introduced in the U.S. House to ban health-insurance
discrimination against motorcyclists, all-terrain vehicle riders and
others.
U.S. Reps. Scott McInnis (R-Colo.) and Ted Strickland (D-Ohio), joined
by 49 colleagues, have introduced HR 1749 -- "The Health Care Parity for
Legal Transportation and Recreational Activities Act of 2003" -- which
would bar health-care discrimination against those who take part in
legal transportation and recreational activities such as motorcycling,
ATV riding, snowmobiling, skiing, or horseback riding.
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) introduced
similar legislation in the Senate earlier: S 423.
The bi-partisan measures are in response to action taken recently by
federal bureaucrats that legalized health-insurance discrimination
against riders.
In the 1990s, Congress passed a law meant to bar employers from refusing
to cover motorcycle-related injuries in the health-insurance coverage
they offer employees: The Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act. But federal bureaucrats reversed that law, writing
rules to allow health-insurance discrimination against motorcyclists and
others who engage in legal activities like skiing, snowmobiling, ATV
riding or horseback riding.
"Medical bills from an accident can easily total tens or even hundreds
of thousands of dollars," said Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for
government relations. "Without insurance, that can amount to a
devastating blow to any rider."
McInnis noted that the regulation written by federal bureaucrats to
carry out the original law "grants protective status to recreationists
without any substantive benefits. This (new) legislation ensures that
the original intent of the (original) legislation that passed
overwhelmingly will be upheld."
Strickland called it "sad" that Congress had to step in on the issue.
"When Congress passed (the original law) we intended to make sure
someone who is motorcycling, snowmobiling, running, or walking couldn't
be denied health-care coverage," Strickland said. "I'm pleased to be the
original co-sponsor of a bill that would ensure these individuals
receive the medical coverage they need in the event they are injured
while doing one of these legal activities."
Moreland wanted to thank all those involved.
"We got a lot of help on this issue, which goes to show how
motorcyclists can get things done when they band together," Moreland
said. "ABATE of Wisconsin and ABATE of Ohio were particularly helpful in
getting this legislation introduced."
Participants of the AMA's "Introduction to Washington" seminar also
worked hard to lobby, as well as members of the Mid-South MILE from
Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Among those also involved in the effort to end health-insurance
discrimination are the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, National Ski Areas
Association, the American Council of Snowmobile Associations, and the
American Horse Council.
Riders and others who want to end this type of insurance discrimination
are urged to send letters to their members of Congress asking them to
support the McInnis-Strickland and Collins-Feingold bills. An easy way
to do this is to use the AMA Rapid Response Center at
www.AMADirectlink.com.
U.S. representatives who support the new measure are: Neil Abercrombie
(D-Hawaii), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), Bob
Beauprez (R-Colo.), Mary Bono (R-Calif.), Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa),
Michael Burgess (R-Texas), Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), Dave Camp (R-Mich.),
Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Julia Carson (D-Ind.), Jerry Costello
(D-Ill.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Jo Ann Davis (R-Va.), Barney Frank
(D-Mass.), Harold Ford (D-Tenn.), Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), Sam Graves
(R-Mo.), Mark Green (R-Wis.), Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), Tim Holden
(D-Pa.), Tim Johnson (R-Ill.), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio), Mark
Kennedy (R-Minn.), Dale Kildee (D-Mich.) and Ron Kind (D-Wis.).
Also, U.S. Reps. Mark Steven Kirk (R-Ill.), John Kline (R-Minn.), Tom
Latham (R-Iowa), William Lipinski (D-Ill.), Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.),
Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), Scott McInnis (R-Colo.), Marilyn Musgrave
(R-Colo.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Thomas Petri (R-Wis.), Todd Russell
Platts (R-Pa.), Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.), Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), Bobby Rush
(D-Ill.), Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), Bernard Sanders
(I-Vt.), Janice Schakowsky (D-Ill.), James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), John
Shimkus (R-Ill.), Ted Strickland (D-Ohio), Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), Mark
Udall (D-Colo.), James Walsh (R-N.Y.), and Jerry Weller (R-Ill.).
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association reports a
measure has been introduced in the U.S. House to ban health-insurance
discrimination against motorcyclists, all-terrain vehicle riders and
others.
U.S. Reps. Scott McInnis (R-Colo.) and Ted Strickland (D-Ohio), joined
by 49 colleagues, have introduced HR 1749 -- "The Health Care Parity for
Legal Transportation and Recreational Activities Act of 2003" -- which
would bar health-care discrimination against those who take part in
legal transportation and recreational activities such as motorcycling,
ATV riding, snowmobiling, skiing, or horseback riding.
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) introduced
similar legislation in the Senate earlier: S 423.
The bi-partisan measures are in response to action taken recently by
federal bureaucrats that legalized health-insurance discrimination
against riders.
In the 1990s, Congress passed a law meant to bar employers from refusing
to cover motorcycle-related injuries in the health-insurance coverage
they offer employees: The Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act. But federal bureaucrats reversed that law, writing
rules to allow health-insurance discrimination against motorcyclists and
others who engage in legal activities like skiing, snowmobiling, ATV
riding or horseback riding.
"Medical bills from an accident can easily total tens or even hundreds
of thousands of dollars," said Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for
government relations. "Without insurance, that can amount to a
devastating blow to any rider."
McInnis noted that the regulation written by federal bureaucrats to
carry out the original law "grants protective status to recreationists
without any substantive benefits. This (new) legislation ensures that
the original intent of the (original) legislation that passed
overwhelmingly will be upheld."
Strickland called it "sad" that Congress had to step in on the issue.
"When Congress passed (the original law) we intended to make sure
someone who is motorcycling, snowmobiling, running, or walking couldn't
be denied health-care coverage," Strickland said. "I'm pleased to be the
original co-sponsor of a bill that would ensure these individuals
receive the medical coverage they need in the event they are injured
while doing one of these legal activities."
Moreland wanted to thank all those involved.
"We got a lot of help on this issue, which goes to show how
motorcyclists can get things done when they band together," Moreland
said. "ABATE of Wisconsin and ABATE of Ohio were particularly helpful in
getting this legislation introduced."
Participants of the AMA's "Introduction to Washington" seminar also
worked hard to lobby, as well as members of the Mid-South MILE from
Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Among those also involved in the effort to end health-insurance
discrimination are the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, National Ski Areas
Association, the American Council of Snowmobile Associations, and the
American Horse Council.
Riders and others who want to end this type of insurance discrimination
are urged to send letters to their members of Congress asking them to
support the McInnis-Strickland and Collins-Feingold bills. An easy way
to do this is to use the AMA Rapid Response Center at
www.AMADirectlink.com.
U.S. representatives who support the new measure are: Neil Abercrombie
(D-Hawaii), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), Bob
Beauprez (R-Colo.), Mary Bono (R-Calif.), Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa),
Michael Burgess (R-Texas), Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), Dave Camp (R-Mich.),
Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Julia Carson (D-Ind.), Jerry Costello
(D-Ill.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Jo Ann Davis (R-Va.), Barney Frank
(D-Mass.), Harold Ford (D-Tenn.), Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), Sam Graves
(R-Mo.), Mark Green (R-Wis.), Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), Tim Holden
(D-Pa.), Tim Johnson (R-Ill.), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio), Mark
Kennedy (R-Minn.), Dale Kildee (D-Mich.) and Ron Kind (D-Wis.).
Also, U.S. Reps. Mark Steven Kirk (R-Ill.), John Kline (R-Minn.), Tom
Latham (R-Iowa), William Lipinski (D-Ill.), Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.),
Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), Scott McInnis (R-Colo.), Marilyn Musgrave
(R-Colo.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Thomas Petri (R-Wis.), Todd Russell
Platts (R-Pa.), Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.), Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), Bobby Rush
(D-Ill.), Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), Bernard Sanders
(I-Vt.), Janice Schakowsky (D-Ill.), James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), John
Shimkus (R-Ill.), Ted Strickland (D-Ohio), Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), Mark
Udall (D-Colo.), James Walsh (R-N.Y.), and Jerry Weller (R-Ill.).