WASHINGTON BUREAU — The 11 Democrats who represent Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives want the final version of the health bill to create a single, national health insurance exchange.
A national exchange is needed to "protect Texans from second-rate care," the 11 Texas Democrats write in a letter sent to the House Democratic negotiators who are helping to combine the House health bill, H.R. 3962, with the Senate health bill, H.R. 3950.
The House health bill would create a national exchange. The exchange would help match consumers with carriers and serve as a vehicle for providing health insurance subsidies.
The Senate health bill would give states broad authority over the design and regulation of health insurance exchanges.
The Senate approach "not only reduces the market leverage of the exchange and increases complexity, but it also relies on states with indifferent state leadership that are unwilling or unable to administer and properly regulate a health insurance marketplace," the Texas Democrats write in their letter. "A number of states opposed to health reform have already expressed an interest in obstruction."
In Texas, for example, state officials already are slowing implementation of existing health reform measures, the Texas Democrats write.
"As it stands today," the Texas Democrats write, "not one Texas child has received any benefit from the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act approved by Congress early last year."
Health insurance producer groups have sent Congress a letter urging that states be given broad authority over the exchanges.
The signers of the producer groups' letter include representatives from the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, Washington; the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, Alexandria, Va.; the National Association of Health Underwriters, Arlington, Va.; and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, Falls Church, Va.
Congress should preserve state-based flexibility and use the existing state-based regulatory authority of the nation's governors and insurance commissioners, the producer groups write.
"The federal regulatory functions of any exchanges should be focused on areas needed to facilitate the purchase of insurance by individuals and small employers," the groups write.
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