Lost in the brouhaha over ramming through the right-to-work bills, the GOPBagger-dominated Michigan Legislature also rammed through a bill converting the state's largest health insurer, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, in order to allow them to deregulate rates.
http://www.freep.com/...
Consumer advocates weren’t happy with the committee’s decision.
“....This deregulation scheme still reduces access to coverage and effectively guarantees skyrocketing insurance premiums for individuals and small businesses,” Michigan Consumers for Healthcare director Don Hazaert said in a written statement. “This deal eliminates all meaningful rate review on Blue Cross going forward and effectively allows a monopoly to set insurance rates in Michigan. The public will not accept the Legislature abandoning the state’s rate review responsibilities simply for the sake of political expediency.”
I have a relative who practices elder law, who says the impact of this legislation on fixed-income seniors is going to be nothing short of cataclysmic.
But anything to go along with the GOPBag agenda dictated by ALEC of deregulating every healthcare and financial-services industry wherever and whenever possible.
THIS IS A DICTATORSHIP.
Oh let's also not forget the new provisions restricting women's healthcare coverages and reproductive rights they ALSO rammed through.
RAM, RAM, RAM.