House Bill (HB) 450, sponsored by State Representative Niraj Antinai (R- Miamisburg, OH), would put in place a mandate evaluation process that would make it nearly impossible to ever pass legislation regarding insurance benefit mandates. A priority of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the bill essentially takes the authority away from the Ohio General Assembly to debate and pass necessary legislation around insurance mandates.
The bill is being heard by the House Government Accountability and Oversight Committee.
“The OAFP actually has a long-standing policy against health care coverage mandates but we are very concerned that under this bill, the Ohio General Assembly is absolving itself from the responsibility to appropriately review on a case by case basis the possible merits of a coverage mandate. We understand the Ohio Chamber of Commerce supports making coverage mandates obsolete but we, as physicians, know all too well that insurance companies do not always do the right thing when it comes to patients and what should or shouldn’t be covered. In that case, it is the General Assembly’s responsibility to listen to both sides of the argument and then make a decision about what is best for the citizens of Ohio.
Again, we are not typically supportive of health insurance mandates, but we do not believe that passage of HB 450 is appropriate or wise.”