Photo source: AG Jeff Landry
BATON ROUGE, LA – As could have been predicted when the Governor bypassed the legislative process to use his phone and pen in creating the Protecting Health Coverage in Louisiana Task Force, the Governor’s Office and his allies have used the Task Force to put politics over policy.
Today, the Task Force approved – over the objection of the Attorney General’s Office – a political report, not a thoughtful or well-balanced policy discussion.
In response to the Task Force’s report that is full of inaccuracies and characterizations, the Attorney General’s Office issued Protecting Health Coverage in Louisiana.
A copy of Protecting Health Coverage in Louisiana may be found below.
Upon its issuance, the Attorney General and his office reiterated their commitment to continuing working with the Commissioner of Insurance, the Legislature, and other stakeholders to implement the framework established in Act 412.
Act 412 is a state-based policy solution that will protect individuals with preexisting conditions while lowering health insurance premiums. Because of Act 412, Louisiana is more prepared than other states to ensure access to affordable health insurance if the Affordable Care Act is declared unconstitutional in its entirety.
“Protecting pre-existing conditions is not partisan, it is proper,” said Attorney General Jeff Landry. “I will continue doing all that I can to protect patients, ensure coverage of preexisting conditions, guarantee coverage for essential benefits, and assure a robust marketplace for affordable healthcare with choices for the people of Louisiana.”
As noted in Protecting Health Coverage in Louisiana, Act 412 built on the proven success of the Maine Model – a system that provided the right incentives to insurers while lowering premiums and attracting more coverage. The Maine Guaranteed Access Reinsurance Association had full funding with no federal dollars; yet individuals in their early 20’s saw premium savings of nearly $5,000 per year, while individuals in their 60’s saw savings of more than $7,000 per year.
The report can be read here
