Bill Summary for Bill Number HB09-1224

Date: 03/16/2009

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB09-1224

SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE, VETERANS & MILITARY AFFAIRS

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Moved a prepared amendment to House Bill 09-1224 ( Moved that House Bill 09-1224 be referred to the C	PASS PASS

02:25 PM -- House Bill 09-1224

Senator Carroll, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 09-1224, concerning a prohibition on the consideration of gender in setting rates for individual health insurance policies. She noted that House Bill 09-1224 prohibits gender discrimination in setting rates in the health insurance market. She said that Colorado has a tradition of leading the states in regard to women's issues. She said that, currently, a gender discrimination loophole in insurance markets is allowed in Colorado. She noted that women pay 30 to 40 percent more than men for the same health insurance coverage in Colorado. She listed groups that are supporting House Bill 09-1224.

The following persons testified in regard to House Bill 09-1224:

02:33 PM -- Vanessa Haneman, representing the Colorado Association of Health Care Providers, opposed House Bill 09-1224. She said that House Bill 09-1224 will make it more difficult for the poor to purchase insurance and could cause males to leave the insurance pool altogether. She said that the issue should be studied over the interim. She distributed a copy of a mathematical simulation study to the committee (Attachment A.)

02:39 PM -- Bob Semro, representing the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, supported House Bill 09-1224. He noted that women often pay higher premiums than men. He said that some insurers consider pregnancy a pre-existing condition and grounds for denial of coverage. He said that ten other states prohibit gender discrimination in the health insurance markets.

02:44 PM -- Kelli Fritts, representing the American Association of Retired Persons, supported "community rating" that does not discriminate against women and supported House Bill 09-1224.

02:46 PM -- Toni Panetta, representing NARAL Pro-choice Colorado, supported House Bill 09-1224. She commented on the mission of her organization and on federal nondiscrimination laws. She commented further on the coverage of birth control by health insurers and efforts of unemployed women to purchase health insurance.

02:51 PM -- Linda Meric, representing the 9 to 5 National Association of Working Women, said that her organization seeks to end poverty and discrimination. She said that the time has arrived to ban gender discrimination in health insurance markets. She said that House Bill 09-1224 addresses basic civil rights and economic issues. She asked the committee to support House Bill 09-1224.

02:53 PM -- Char Roberts, representing the Women's Lobby of Colorado, supported House Bill 09-1224. She noted that many women work part-time or are married to older males who are receiving Medicare benefits, and that this affects their ability to obtain health coverage. She said that health plans are able to "rate up" for age and health status. She stated her opposition to gender rating in the health insurance market.

02:57 PM -- Cathy Alderman, representing Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, said that her organization supports equal access to health care services and supports House Bill 09-1224.

02:59 PM -- Marcy Morrison, Colorado Commissioner of Insurance, supported House Bill 09-1224. She said that the State of California is currently being sued in regard to this issue of gender discrimination. She commented on studies showing that women are more likely than men to incur health care costs. She said that approximately 125,000 women in Colorado have individual health care plans. She said that men "catch up in health care costs" with women over time. She said that women who drop their health care coverage are often pushed into the public health care system.


BILL:	HB09-1224
TIME:	03:08:13 PM
MOVED:	Boyd
MOTION:	Moved a prepared amendment to House Bill 09-1224 (Attachment B), L.004. The motion passed on a 3-2-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Boyd	Yes
	Cadman	No
	Schultheis	No
	Bacon	Yes
	Williams	Yes


Not Final YES: 3 NO: 2 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


BILL:	HB09-1224
TIME:	03:15:57 PM
MOVED:	Boyd
MOTION:	Moved that House Bill 09-1224 be referred to the Committee of the Whole, as amended. The motion passed on a 3-2-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Boyd	Yes
	Cadman	No
	Schultheis	No
	Bacon	Yes
	Williams	Yes


Final YES: 3 NO: 2 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS