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May 10, 2005 at 08:00 PM
A Gulf War veteran who serves in the U.S. House of Representatives has introduced a bill that could bolster the rights of reservists to have their health insurance reinstated when they return from active duty.[@@]
Under current law, service personnel ordered to active duty who terminate health insurance coverage are entitled to reinstatement of coverage after returning to civilian life. Those personnel are not protected against premium increases.
The new House bill, H.R. 2046, would prohibit a premium increase upon reinstatement if it affects only the individual service member, but it would allow general increases in premiums if the increases applied to other persons with similar coverage, according to Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, the bill’s sponsor.
The bill also would strengthen reservists’ rights to reinstatement of coverage if they chose to discontinue their employer coverage before beginning active duty.
