I recently had the pleasure to work on a mini-documentary in D.C. on the uninsured in this country. Astoundingly, there are 14 million people between the ages of 19-29 that don't have insurance.... twice the percentage of those younger and older than these ages.
One of the experts featured in my piece was a state legislator from Maryland named Heather Mizuer. I spoke with her b/c she had introduced a bill in the state to force insurance companies to insure young adults up to age 25, rather than booting them off there parents' plans when they turn 19.
Well today I received this message from her....
"Best of all, I have great news to report… my bill passed the legislature this session and will be signed into law by the Governor! The law, HB 1057, would require health insurers to allow young adults up to age 25 to remain on a family health plan."
Congratulations Del. Mizeur, you made a difference. And best of all, she's a brand new legislator, already making a difference.
This should be a call to other politicians that it is possible to make some headway on an issue you care about. Del. Mizeur cared about this issue and got the law passed.
Because of her actions, some 21 year-old kid won't be saddled with medical bills for 10 years over something as simple as a broken leg... because that's exactly what happened to me.
Audio: Modest Mouse "This Is a Long Drive For Someone With Nothing to Think About"
1 comment:
Of course, every action comes with a cost. Forcing insurance companies to expand coverage is really just forcing their customers to pay higher premiums to cover this segment of their customer base. It's not a solution: The insurance companies aren't going to take a ding in the profit & loss sheets just because of a little bit of legislation.
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