Healthcare mandates have been branded as nothing short of treasonous marxism by right-wing ideologues. For years, they railed against the Affordable Care Act as though it abolished the Bill of Rights. Remember “death panels”??
The fact remains, access to healthcare has never been perfect in this country, and sometimes our elected representatives have passed legislation to expand coverage through mandates as a result.
Now, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce is working closely with a Dayton-area legislator to eliminate future healthcare mandates with House Bill 450.
This bill attempts to sour the public on the concept of mandates, by forcing insurers to use Republican talking points in their communications with policy holders. Specifically, insurance companies would have to include “with every premium invoice or statement” the following language:
“The cost of your health insurance premium may be higher due to mandated benefits that are required by the State of Ohio to be included as part of every health insurance plan offered in Ohio, regardless of whether plan participants need or use these benefits. The mandated benefits are listed in the enclosed document. If you are concerned about how these mandated benefits increase the cost of your health insurance premium, please contact your state legislator.”
This is nothing short of one political party attempting to force businesses to deliver political messaging with their products.
In addition, the bill would make it almost impossible for legislators to address future coverage gaps with healthcare mandates, by disallowing them unless several complicated and overlapping criteria are met.
Bottom line: Since the Affordable Care Act and other coverage mandates continue to be popular despite Republican attempts to brand them as socialism, the GOP has decided to change strategy and use other tactics to influence your views.
Call your state legislators:
Script: “Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m calling from [ADDRESS] about House Bill 450. This bill is plainly an attempt by Republican legislators to insert Republican talking points into communications I receive from my insurer. By forcing insurers to use political messages about healthcare mandates, this bill would insert government between me and my healthcare. The fact is, many Ohioans receive critical access to care because of mandates. I oppose this bill and expect you as my representative in state government to oppose it as well.
For more information about HB 450, please read this summary from the Legislative Services Commission.