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Sunday, May 07, 2006

Faith-Based Insurance?

Source: PrideSource

The Republican-controlled House in Michigan passed two bills that, if passed into law, will allow insurance companies to deny coverage for people on the basis of different ethical views.

You thought HMOs sucked? Try faith-based insurance.

On April 26, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed two bills which, if signed into law, could have far-reaching implications for the health of AIDS patients, LGBTs, and women.

House Bills 4745 and 4746 "would allow commercial health insurance companies, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan to refuse to offer or provide a health care benefit on ethical, moral, or religious grounds as reflected in their articles of incorporation or bylaws or by an adopted mission statement," according to the legislative summary of the bills.

In other words, a health insurance company could decide, based on its "morals," not to provide coverage for such medical conditions as AIDS, hormonal or other treatments required by transgender individuals, contraceptives, or other treatments.

The bills would also exempt insurance companies from lawsuits from patients arising from refusal of coverage under the "morals" exemption.


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