Massachusetts debates Lyme insurance bill
From activists working on Massachusetts Lyme insurance bill:
Approximately 200 people showed up for the hearing, and we had a strong turnout for the morning Welcome Reception and Lobby Day too (especially so, in view of the early hour and awful traffic).
.
The sponsors of all three bills, Linsky, Gobi and Speliotis, started the hearing off by offering their testimony on a joint panel, driving to work together to get a Lyme insurance mandate passed. This was important, because we support the wording for two of the bills, which is identical, and we’re concerned to have them working in sync with that. We’ll still have to watchdog the bills for compatible, key language in the days ahead, but this was a good sign and signaled to the committee that any differences can be resolved.
.
Several physicians turned out to testify in support of the bills as well, both local and Dr. Maloney who came to represent ILADS. Pat Smith drove up with Rich to support us and provide testimony. We also are grateful to Mala Rafik, a prominent disability attorney in Boston, who testified regarding the large number of clients with Lyme she has represented, many of whom are professionals too disabled to work. The JCFS members were attentive and asked good questions, seeming supportive of our concerns.
..
Our major opposition came from two lobbyists representing the concerns of small businesses. They are opposed to all insurance mandates. It was interesting to hear the astute challenges to their testimony from several of the Committee members themselves!
.
Testimony for our bills continued throughout the day until after 5:00, interspersed with testimony for a few other bills. The Committee advised speaking from the heart, and it was very moving to listen to testimony from so many affected by Lyme – including several legislators.
.
Most of the hearing was videotaped by a professional videographer who volunteered his services, having a good friend suffering from Lyme. He has promised to send the video to us – when that happens, we’ll post it for viewing.
.
Does this mean insurance companies will have to include treatments for LD in their policies, or that we will have to buy a seperate insurance policy that just covers LD.IF it is the former, it really opens the door for insurance companies to exclude coverage for all kinds of things and then to offer seperate coverage for them…it would be a real windfall for the ins. companies and a set back for everyone else.
The anti-mandate, anti-regulation folks will fight it no matter how many people it helps. We have a law on the books in MN that says insurance companies must cover Lyme Disease and that they cannot charge higher premiums and co-pays to people with Lyme. But it does not define Lyme Disease (makes no mention of acute or chronic Lyme, no mention of early or late stage Lyme), and does not say how long they have to cover your treatment. So they can still wiggle their way out of covering it.
I don’t know if this is a watered down version, if there was a stronger bill proposed at the time and opponents were able to stop it. At the time I wasn’t having Lyme symptoms, so I didn’t pay that much attention.
If the language in the MA bill is strong enough, pass it, already. Not everyone can afford to pay out of pocket for Lyme treatment. It should be covered like any other disease.