NY proposes changes to health insurance regulation : VALERIE BAUMAN

Governor David Paterson wants to make health care more affordable and accessible by requiring health insurers to obtain approval, health care ,, health care , for increasing premiums.The proposal, currently before the legislature, would increase for companies to approval by the State Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo search. At present "state of the file and use" system gives broad discretion insurance rate increases without state approval. "It has not worked, because self in this sector has resulted in the best prices for New Yorkers," said Dinallo. "It is, instead, has to drive New Yorkers of the health plans." Leslie Moran, a spokeswoman, health care , for the New York Health Plan Association, said that serious problems with the measure. "This is actually a bill that would impose much greater regulation of health insurance premiums," she said. "It is really, health care , to exercise price controls on health care. It ignores the underlying factors responsible, health care , for an insurance premium. It would only regulate the cost of premiums without regulation of the costs of the providers, hospital costs. "The bill is, health care , one of the four proposals Paterson designed for people who can not afford private insurance to help, but not eligible for Medicaid , the government health care coverage for the poor. "There are people who do not qualify for traditional safety net, but still need help, still need a leg up," said Joseph Baker, Acting Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services in the New York governor.Of uninsured, almost one in three was aged between 19 and 29. Paterson's proposal would allow families to children under the age of 29 insurance coverage by their employer. They would qualify if they are unmarried and have no access to employer-provided insurance. The proposal would, families pay the premiums instead of the employers, but it would cost less than if the group policy got a young adult individual policy.Most plans now cover the halt at 23 years old.Senate Democrats have introduced similar proposals . Dan Weiller, a spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, said lawmakers would review, health care , the proposals, there is a hearing on June 8 prior approval of the rate increases.Paterson also want to extend COBRA coverage from 18 to 36 months. COBRA allows people, health care , who lost their jobs to continue the same insurance plans they, health care , had under an employer. At $ 400 per month would, it is less than half the cost of insurance on the, health care , open market.The final proposal, health care , in the package of Paterson's attack managed care to reduce the bureaucracy that stands in the way of care and cut down on inappropriate delayed or denied claims. If, health care , an, health care , insurance company not to a deadline for the review of a claim to comply, the proposal would claim approved.The plan would also reduce the, health, health care , care , time insurance companies have paid physicians and hospitals to 15 days instead of 45 days. "You have a fairly regulated (healthcare) market," Dinallo said. "The delivery of healthcare, not just insurance: Providers have controlled Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement and ceilings are built in, so if, health care , you have, but you have an industry that only free market, take the air from the balloon."