Posted on 08/17/2010 4:35:15 AM PDT by Libloather
Some states are lacking in health law authority
By ROBERT PEAR and KEVIN SACK
New York Times News Service
Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010 - 10:01 a.m.
WASHINGTON — Faced with the need to review insurance rates and enforce a panoply of new rights granted to consumers, states are scrambling to make sure they have the necessary legal authority to carry out the responsibilities being placed on them by President Barack Obama’s health care legislation.
Insurance commissioners in about half the states say they do not have clear authority to enforce consumer protection standards that take effect next month.
Federal and state officials are searching for ways to plug the gap. Otherwise, they say, the ability of consumers to secure the benefits of the new law could vary widely, depending on where they live.
Meanwhile, state governments that have for years allowed insurers to set premiums virtually at will are gearing up to establish procedures to review rate increases.
Under the new federal standards, insurers generally must offer coverage to children under 19 and must allow adult children up to age 26 to stay on their parents’ policies. Insurers cannot charge co-payments for preventive services or impose a lifetime limit on benefits; must allow consumers to appeal a denial of benefits; and cannot rescind coverage, except in cases of fraud or intentional misrepresentation.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesfreepress.com ...
Isn't that kinda backwards? Doesn't this mean that the states are supposedly to derive powers from an unconstitutional FedGov usurpation of power? Kinda thought "United States" meant that it was supposed to be the other way around, Tenth Amendment and all that sort of thing.
Silly me.
...to the People.
...at the People.
...up the Peoples.
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